Gafkjen
DuBois
Bob DuBois, Noblesville Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, and Janet Gafkjen, Executive Director of Partnership for a Healthy Hamilton County (PHHC), have successfully completed the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) national professional development program designed to boost innovative community health initiatives.
Professionals selected for ACCE’s year-long Healthy Communities program participated in a design thinking lab in Alexandria, Va., which helped to develop and implement a plan to tackle a specific community health challenge. DuBois and Gafkjen chose to invest their time to help launch Workforce Employee Assistance Program and establish the Chamber Healthy Noblesville Alliance in partnership with PHHC Community Based Health Coalition initiatives. Curriculum was designed to help participants demonstrate the leadership role their chamber of commerce can play in strengthening quality of life and supporting equitable prosperity. Each participant worked with a local community partner throughout the program.
PHHC is confident that emphasizing health can transform communities. According to Gafkjen, “Building a culture of health means everyone should have a fair opportunity to be as healthy as possible, regardless of where we live or the circumstances we were born into. The choices we make depend on the opportunities we have – things like access to healthy foods, or education on health resources, or living in safe and affordable housing, or access to affordable healthcare services. PHHC enlists the help of people working in every field and profession who want to use their influence to advance a culture of health where every resident has a fair opportunity to live a long healthy life.”
The Noblesville Chamber of Commerce is committed to making physical and mental health a priority in Noblesville. “A healthy community leads to a healthy workforce,” said DuBois. “That is good for business and good for families.”
As Noblesville Schools has focused on increase mental health initiatives, the Noblesville Chamber is seeking more community partnerships, including with the upcoming mayoral administration. “We know health outcomes are determined by many factors beyond simply good healthcare facilities and good medical staff,” said DuBois. “Now, empowered by data, nationally recognized best practices, and a commitment to creating a culture of health, we have a road map to a healthier Noblesville.”
Leaders graduating from the 2019 Healthy Communities program represent chambers of commerce in Arizona, California, Florida, Indiana, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Texas and Wisconsin. The program is made possible with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
About the Noblesville Chamber of Commerce
The mission of the Noblesville Chamber of Commerce, through the unity and efforts of its membership, is to foster and achieve a healthy economic climate for all citizens of the Noblesville area. Visit the Chamber’s offices inside the Hamilton East Public Library at 1 Library Plaza, Noblesville, online at noblesvillechamber.com, or call (317) 773-0086.
About Partnership For A Healthy Hamilton County
Partnership For A Healthy Hamilton County is a collaboration of people and organizations, including hospitals and human service agencies, community leaders, business owners and schools, whose goal is to improve and maintain the health of all county residents through program development and outcomes measurement. Find PHHC online at hamiltoncountyphhc.com, or call (317) 548-8695.