About Us
#HealthierMO was launched in 2017 with a commitment to use passion, policy, and partnerships to build a stronger foundation for health across Missouri. We are a grassroots initiative committed to ensuring that all Missourians have the opportunity to reach their full potential and live their healthiest lives.
The Challenge
Missouri has a complex and fragmented public health system, with a state health department and 115 autonomous local public health agencies with varying governance structures, different levels of capacity, diverse programs, and limited access to resources, including funding.
Universities, public and private organizations, non-profit entities, and many other groups and individuals also contribute to building a strong, stable, and lasting foundation for community health.
All public health agencies in Missouri must have the capacity to effectively work with their partners to assure a consistent set of foundational public health services that every Missourian can depend on.
Our Vision
Our vision is that every Missouri community will have a strong, stable, and lasting foundation for health and well-being they can depend on. Our approach is collaborative, holistic and equity-informed, and data-driven. We affirm the need for comprehensive data collection and strategic planning to ensure that social, cultural, and political influences promote health and well-being, rather than pose risks or cause harm.
Together with our partners, we're working to move the needle on three key measures:
1) Health equity is infused into all public health work.
2) A unified voice is established for public health work in Missouri.
3) All public health agencies in Missouri are assuring Missouri's Foundational Public Health Services (FPHS) model.
We bring together everyone who contributes to community health in a true grassroots approach to ensuring that each community has a skilled public health workforce, a strong network of partners, stable funding streams, policies, and a reliable system for service delivery. We promote community health as an overall state of well-being we all work together to build. It's more than encouraging individual healthy choices and avoiding disease. It depends on a framework of public health services, quality education, safe and affordable housing, accessible healthcare, and employment opportunities that create an environment in which all of us can thrive.