Healthcare and Municipal Leaders Unite to Launch Blue Zones Initiative to Help Palm Springs Residents Live Better, Longer Lives

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Dec 03, 2024, 08:00 ET

PALM SPRINGS, Calif., Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A powerful public-private partnership of healthcare and municipalities have come together to launch Blue Zones Project in Palm Springs to improve community well-being, health, happiness, and connectivity.

The City of Palm Springs has joined forces with the Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) Foundation, Eisenhower Health, Kaiser Permanente, Molina Healthcare, Riverside University Health System-Public Health (RUHS-PH), and Riverside County to launch this coordinated effort.

Blue Zones Project is a first-of-its-kind population health initiative that uses an evidence-based approach to transform the environments in which people live, work, learn, and play, leading to measurably improved community well-being, economic vitality, and resilience.

RUHS-PH funded the initial Blue Zones feasibility assessment to determine the readiness of various communities in Riverside County. Now, a total of five Blue Zones initiatives are simultaneously launching in Riverside, Banning, Coachella, and Palm Springs, while Mead Valley begins a policy-focused Blue Zones Activate. This strategy was devised to create maximum impact for the county.

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 helps communities 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, among other positive outcomes.

According to Gallup, 3 in 5 Palm Springs residents are struggling with their health, more than half experience regular financial stress, and four out of five are overweight or obese. These issues compromise residents' quality of life and drain millions from the local economy through healthcare costs, absenteeism, and lost productivity. Blue Zones estimates that a coordinated, comprehensive effort to address well-being gaps could save the city of Palm Springs $207.2 million over the next decade.

"This is a major step towards improving the health and well-being of our historic city," said Palm Springs Mayor Jeffrey Bernstein. "Blue Zones Project aligns with our existing efforts to improve quality of life by investing in safer parks and recreational spaces, improved infrastructure, and more resources for the unhoused. We are extremely pleased to join Blue Zones in this unified effort."

"Partnering with the Blue Zones Project furthers our mission of extending care beyond the hospital walls by bringing Eisenhower's programs and services closer to where people live and work," says Martin Massiello, President and Chief Executive Officer, Eisenhower Health. "Eisenhower Health is proud to support this initiative in Palm Springs because it aligns perfectly with our shared vision of creating healthier communities, and it aligns seamlessly with our vision of improving overall health — not just treating illness. Together, we are building a foundation for vibrant, thriving neighborhoods where health and wellness are seamlessly integrated into everyday life for all residents."

Blue Zones is thrilled to announce the appointment of Geoff Kors as Executive Director of Blue Zones Project in Palm Springs. In this role, Kors will be responsible for leading the rollout and implementation of the community-led well-being initiative focused on transforming the environments where people live, work, learn, and play. Kors is a longtime Palm Springs resident and former Mayor and City Councilmember, serving on the City Council from 2015 to 2022. Geoff previously served as the Executive Director of Equality California, the Government Affairs and Legislative Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Assistant Regional Counsel for the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Kors shared, "The City of Palm Springs has established goals of increasing access and opportunity, improving the health and happiness of residents, and incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion and sustainability goals into all areas of government policy. This project does not simply align with these goals, but supports and furthers them as it will reduce health disparities, increase active transportation options, improve parks and recreation, and address longstanding issues such as access to healthy food. This significant investment in creating community-wide change will have a long-term impact on our residents. By bringing resources and a proven program to create change, this collaboration is truly a gift to our communities."

The launch of Blue Zones Project represents the beginning of a multi-year collaborative effort that involves the entire community working together toward one common goal – to support and build a culture of health and well-being. We are actively hiring full-time staff locally – learn more here.

About Blue Zones^®Blue Zones employs evidence-based ways to help people live better, longer. The company's work is rooted in explorations and research done by founder and National Geographic Fellow Dan Buettner in blue zones regions around the world, where people live extraordinarily long and/or happy lives. The original research and findings were released in Buettner's bestselling books The Blue Zones Solution, The Blue Zones of Happiness, The Blue Zones, Thrive, and Blue Zones Kitchen—all published by National Geographic books. An Emmy Award-winning docuseries, Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones, was released on Netflix in 2023. Using original Blue Zones research, Blue Zones works with cities and counties to make healthy choices easier through permanent and semi-permanent changes to our human-made surroundings. 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 us at bluezones.com.

About IEHP Foundation
IEHP Foundation is on a mission to inspire and ignite the health of the Inland Empire. Established in July 2021 by Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) to help advance Vibrant Health — extending beyond traditional healthcare services and addressing the social determinants of health for the region's most vulnerable populations. Learn more about IEHP Foundation at iehpfoundation.org.

About Eisenhower Health

Eisenhower Health is a not-for-profit, comprehensive health care institution that includes the 437-bed Eisenhower Hospital, the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center at Eisenhower and the Annenberg Center for Health Sciences at Eisenhower. Eisenhower is renowned for its Centers of Excellence in Orthopedics, Cardiovascular, Neuroscience and Oncology. Situated on 106 acres in Rancho Mirage, and with outpatient clinics across the valley, Eisenhower Health has provided a full range of quality medical and educational services for more than 50 years for residents and visitors to the greater Coachella Valley. Eisenhower has twice earned ANCC Magnet Recognition ® for professionalism in nursing and excellence in patient care. The first accredited teaching hospital in the valley, Eisenhower trains physician residents in Internal Medicine, Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine and offers several fellowships. For more information, visit EisenhowerHealth.org or follow Eisenhower Health on social media.

About Molina Healthcare of California

Molina Healthcare of California has been providing government-funded care for over 40 years. The Company serves members through Medi-Cal, Medicare, Medicare-Medicaid (Duals) and Covered California (Marketplace). Molina's service areas include Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, Orange County and Imperial counties. Through its locally operated health plans, Molina Healthcare, Inc., a Fortune 500 company, provides managed health care services under the Medicaid and Medicare programs, and through state insurance marketplaces.  For more information about Molina Healthcare of California, visit MolinaHealthcare.com.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and nonprofit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.5 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. For more information, go to about.kp.org.

About Riverside University Health System

Riverside University Health System (RUHS) includes a 439-bed Medical Center in Moreno Valley, Calif., 14 Federally Qualified Community Health Centers, and the departments of Public and Behavioral Health. RUHS is Riverside County's safety net provider, offering high-quality, patient-centered care. With more than 8,000 staff members and over 125 years of experience, RUHS continues its commitment to and legacy of delivering exceptional, compassionate care with a focus on public health, behavioral health, community wellness, and medical education. Visit ruhealth.org to learn more.

CONTACT
Naomi Imatome-Yun
[email protected]

SOURCE Blue Zones