Community Improvement Efforts Contribute to Progress in National Prize Selection Process
ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 25, 2021) County Executive Steuart Pittman announced today that Anne Arundel County has been chosen as a finalist for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Prize. As a 2021 finalist, the county moves one step closer to the national prize, which honors communities working at the forefront of advancing health, opportunity, and equity for all.
From 90 original applicants, Anne Arundel County joins eight other finalist communities from across the country. Winners will be announced this fall. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Culture of Health Prize elevates the compelling stories of places where residents are working together to transform communities.
“Robert Wood Johnson Foundation knows good work when they see it,” said County Executive Pittman. “ Being selected as a finalist for this award tells all of us what we already suspected. Our public, private, and community partnerships in service to struggling families across our county have been truly extraordinary. We really are creating The Best Place - For All.”
To get to this stage in the process, communities had to showcase the breadth of work and collaboration happening across sectors to expand health opportunities for residents. To become a finalist, Anne Arundel County had to demonstrate how its efforts reflect the six Prize criteria:
- Defining health in the broadest possible terms.
- Committing to sustainable systems changes and policy-oriented long-term solutions.
- Creating conditions that give everyone a fair and just opportunity to reach their best possible health.
- Maximizing the collective power of leaders, partners, and community members.
- Securing and making the most of available resources.
- Measuring and sharing progress and results.
“RWJF Culture of Health Prize communities offer important examples of places where partners are coming together to cultivate a shared commitment to equity so all residents can thrive,” said Richard Besser, MD, RWJF president and CEO. “We look forward to connecting and speaking with residents and community leaders in each finalist community to learn more about how they are achieving meaningful and lasting change.”
If selected as a Prize winner, Anne Arundel County will be given a $25,000 prize and a national platform to share their story and lessons learned with the country. The community will join with and learn from other national and community change leaders, including past Prize- winning communities.
The other 2021 finalists include Bastrop County, Texas; Freehold Borough, N.J.; Green Bay, Wis.; Howard County, Md.; Palm Beach County, Fla.; Rocky Mount, N.C.; Salinas, Calif.; and Thunder Valley Community-Oglala Lakota Nation (Oceti Sakowin Territory)
To learn about the work of the 44 previous Prize winners, visit www.rwjf.org/prize. The RWJF Culture of Health Prize is a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.