Blue Zones Project Launches in Scottsdale, the First in Arizona

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Mar 30, 2023, 09:00 ET

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. , March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- HonorHealth, Cigna Healthcare, and Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona are announcing the launch of Blue Zones Project in Scottsdale to help residents live better, longer lives. Blue Zones Project is a comprehensive initiative that transforms the environments where people live, work, learn, and play to measurably improve community well-being, resilience, and economic vitality.

Blue Zones Project is a first-of-its-kind population health initiative based on research and principles developed by Dan Buettner, a National Geographic Fellow and New York Times best-selling author who identified the cultures of the world—or blue zones—with the healthiest, longest-living populations.

HonorHealth supported the initial Blue Zones Activate assessment in collaboration with the City of Scottsdale, during which the Blue Zones team did a deep dive into the city to determine if it was feasible to launch a community-wide initiative. Todd LaPorte, CEO of HonorHealth, shares, "As the largest employer and healthcare provider in Scottsdale, we are committed to improving the health and well-being of everyone in Scottsdale and throughout the Valley, and that means expanding our efforts outside hospital walls. We are fortunate to live in a beautiful place. However, loneliness and isolation have been growing within our community and one out of two Scottsdale residents currently report they are struggling with their health. Now is the time to act to improve the well-being of the communities we serve, and this Blue Zones Project will help us build a sustainable future."

Research shows that where people live has a bigger influence on their health than their genetics, so Blue Zones Project focuses on the Life Radius^®—the area close to home where people spend 90% of their lives. Blue Zones Project works with communities to optimize public policies, social connections, and the places and spaces where people spend the most time (streets, parks, schools, workplaces, grocery stores, faith communities, homes) to help make healthy choices easy and more accessible to all. Participating communities have seen double-digit drops in obesity and smoking rates, economic investment in downtown corridors, grant funding awards to support policies and programs to improve health equity, and measurable savings in healthcare costs.

"Cigna Healthcare's mission is to improve the health and vitality of those we serve, and Blue Zones Project can help us achieve this by sustainably improving health, well-being, and vitality at the community level," said Kim Shepard, Commercial Market President, Cigna Healthcare of Arizona. "We are proud to partner with leading organizations HonorHealth and Goodwill in this effort; together, we can create a healthier, happier community with higher vitality and quality of life."

"Goodwill is a social impact engine that has helped Arizonans build pathways out of poverty for more than 75 years," said Tim O'Neal, CEO of Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona. "We are passionate about creating opportunities and communities where every person can thrive, and the Blue Zones Project will help us drive sustainable change. We are proud to partner with Blue Zones and other Valley leaders on such an important initiative."

Ben Leedle, CEO of Blue Zones and co-founder of Blue Zones Project, said: "We are excited to come together with these powerful leading organizations in this partnership for the greater good. We applaud these forward-looking, exemplary leaders for investing in improving well-being for all current and future residents. We believe Scottsdale can become a model for communities around the country in their commitment to the future health, happiness, resilience, and economic vitality of their residents."

The launch of Blue Zones Project represents the beginning of a multi-year collaborative effort with the City of Scottsdale that involves the entire community working together toward one common goal – to support and build a culture of community health and well-being. The local implementation team will begin the Foundation and planning phase in May with a kickoff event to follow later in the year. Find more information about the Blue Zones Project Scottsdale at https://www.bluezones.com/bzpscottsdale/

About Blue Zones Project^®Blue Zones Project^® is a community-led well-being improvement initiative designed to make healthy choices easier through permanent changes to a city's environment, policy, and social networks. Blue Zones Project is based on research by Dan Buettner, a National Geographic Fellow and New York Times best-selling author who identified five cultures of the world—or blue zones —with the highest concentration of people living to 100 years or older. Blue Zones Project incorporates Buettner's findings and works with cities to implement policies and programs that will move a community toward optimal health and well-being. Blue Zones launched the first pilot community in 2009 in Albert Lea, MN with groundbreaking results. Directly and also in partnership with Sharecare, the model has since been applied to more than 75 communities in the United States. Participating communities have experienced double-digit drops in obesity and tobacco use and have saved millions of dollars in healthcare costs. For more information, visit bluezones.com.

About HonorHealth:
HonorHealth is one of Arizona's largest nonprofit healthcare systems serving over 1.6 million people in the greater Phoenix area. The comprehensive network encompasses six acute-care hospitals, a medical group with primary, specialty and urgent care services, a cancer care network, outpatient surgery centers, a behavioral health hospital, clinical research, medical education, a foundation, an accountable care organization, community services and more. With more than 14,000 team members, 3,700 affiliated providers and hundreds of volunteers dedicated to providing high quality care, HonorHealth strives to go beyond the expectations of a traditional healthcare system to improve the health and well-being of communities across Arizona. Learn more at HonorHealth.com.

About Cigna Healthcare
Cigna Healthcare is a health benefits provider that advocates for better health through every stage of life. We guide our customers through the health care system, empowering them with the information and insight they need to make the best choices for improving their health and vitality. Products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI), including Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Evernorth Health companies or their affiliates and Express Scripts companies or their affiliates. Such products and services include an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits and others. Learn more at cignahealthcare.com.

About Goodwill of Central & Northern Arizona
Founded in 1947, Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to ending poverty through the power of work. Best known as your neighborhood non-profit thrift store, Goodwill is a social impact engine that helps people build pathways out of poverty. Through a profound commitment to environmental sustainability, community wellness, and workforce development, Goodwill offers educations and trainings that lift individuals from a minimum wage to a family-sustainable wage. To shop or donate at a store near you, visit GoodwillAZ.org.

Contact:
Naomi Imatome-Yun, Blue Zones
[email protected]
917.952.8534

Bill Baer, HonorHealth
[email protected]
602.469.0088

SOURCE Blue Zones