Stockton, CA – San Joaquin County Public Health Services, the Community Health Leadership Council of San Joaquin, Health Plan of San Joaquin, Health Net, and the City of Lodi are bringing the globally-renowned Blue Zones to San Joaquin County with the launch of a Blue Zones Ignite^TM pilot.

Blue Zones work to create environments and opportunities that naturally encourage healthier behaviors and aims to bring about sustainable changes that improve overall health and well-being leading to living better, and longer. The effort will begin with an in-depth readiness and feasibility assessment in Lodi that determines how to make the City and surrounding region a healthier place to live, work, and thrive.

“Being able to live a long, healthy life is one of the many achievable American dreams,” said City of Lodi Mayor Cameron Bregman. “Lodi is honored to be the first city in our county to take the initial steps toward potentially being recognized as a Blue Zone.  Recently, Lodi honored and laid to rest a 100-year-old Pearl Harbor survivor and veteran. To reflect on an individual who lived through such a different time is both humbling and educational, and a reminder that the time to live life is a priceless gift.  I am looking forward to Lodi's contribution to this study, and I wouldn't be surprised if drinking Lodi wine is part of the solution.”

"We have been following Blue Zones and its work to improve overall well-being in local communities for a while now, and we look forward to bringing this transformative initiative to San Joaquin County,” said San Joaquin County Public Health Director, Renee Sunseri. “We are very excited that some of our key communities will have an opportunity to participate in the Blue Zones Ignite assessment. It is a perfect opportunity to help us better understand ways we can effectively address root causes of critical health risks in our region to improve the well-being and lives of County residents.”

Blue Zones’ expert team will connect with San Joaquin County community health leaders and organizations to assess the strengths, needs, and challenges that County residents face today. Activities will include an informational website, community meetings, focus groups with local residents and stakeholders, a community readiness evaluation report, and an expert findings and recommendations assessment. Blue Zones will then create a policy-focused transformation plan that will complement the County’s Community Health Needs Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan. The pilot’s objective is to ignite widespread improvements in well-being, reductions in healthcare costs, and improve economic vitality in the region. The pilot is expected to commence in March 2025.

“As part of our mission we are focused on long-term, evidence-based initiatives that will improve the health and well-being of San Joaquin County residents now and into the future. We are eager to see the findings and recommendations from the Blue Zones Ignite^TM” assessment and consider ways to further improve the health and lives of people who live, work, and play in San Joaquin County,” Sunseri concluded.

For more information on San Joaquin County Public Health Services’ programs, click here.

For more information on Blue Zones, visit https://www.bluezones.com/.

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