RWJF Sentinel Communities Surveillance Project - Louisville Community Portrait

The May 2018 RWJF Culture of Health Portrait for Louisville, KY overviews the progress Louisville has made in its efforts to create a healthier and more equitable city for all residents. A large driver of the city’s efforts is the local government including the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health & Wellness and its Center for Health Equity, the first of its kind in the country. Local schools, health systems, businesses and nonprofits are also working toward the goal of improving the health of all Louisville residents. These organizations are not just considering the traditional avenues of promoting health, rather they are focusing on the social determinants of health, such as food scarcity, transportation, employment, air quality and violence. While the progress in Louisville faces many challenges, the city has dedicated individuals and organizations working toward the ultimate goal of creating a healthier environment for all.

  • Efforts in Louisville include:

    • Encouraging resident engagement on topics that affect health and well-being

    • Collaboration between the government, education and business sectors, and community-based organizations

    • Increasing the tree canopy within the city

    • Research to discover connections between equity and health drivers

    • Improving data collection and its availability to the public

The full Community Portrait drafted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation can be accessed here.

The Sentinel Communities Surveillance Project is involved in collecting data on 30 communities across the United States that are building their own Culture of Health. The project aims to discover the various ways a community may successfully improve its health and reoccurring themes across all 30 communities. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation expects to monitor these communities for at least five years. Click here to learn more about the project.

The video below provides more information on how Louisville is building a Culture of Health.