Youngstown City Health Department to introduce health improvement zones

The Youngstown City Health Department is set to introduce health improvement zones within the city.

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) developed Ohio Health Improvement Zones to establish place-based initiatives to address social determinants of health and improve healthy behaviors of people living within those zones.

The ODH gave funding to 26 projects across the state with the Youngstown City Health District receiving $450,000 to create health improvement zones on each side of town.

$150,000 of the grant will also be used to expand the YMCA Y on the Fly program.

The improvement zones will be at the following locations:

• Eastside - Price Memorial AME Zion Church 
• Northside - Ohey Beth Sholom
• Southside - Needles Eye
• Westside - Grace Evangelistic Temple

Each side of town will also have community action teams consisting of community representatives, residents, the health department and other organizations.

They'll work to identify social determinants of health on each side of town through focus groups and door-to-door canvassing.

The Youngstown City Health Department will introduce the health improvement zones during a news conference at 10 a.m. Monday at Grace Evangelistic Temple.