Creating Healthy Communities (CHC) Program

Patrick Park officially open
RCHD’s Creating Healthy Communities (CHC) program was instrumental in Patrick Park’s planning process. CHC also provided 2 accessible pieces of playground equipment, an accessible picnic table, and bike racks.
Great work, Jordan!

Program Overview
CHC in Ross County:
The Ross County Health District (RCHD) is proud to be one of the 22 counties in the state of Ohio to receive funding from 2020-2024 to support the CHC Program within our county. This funding will support active living and healthy eating strategies that will promote chronic disease reduction and prevention throughout our community. Based off findings from the most recent Ross County Health Assessment, our community deserves policy, system, and environmental changes that will support a healthy lifestyle for all Ross County residents.
Mission
CHC is committed to preventing and reducing chronic disease statewide. Through cross-sector collaboration, we are activating communities to improve access to and affordability of healthy food, increase opportunities for physical activity, and assure tobacco-free living where Ohioans live, work, and play. By implementing sustainable evidence-based strategies, CHC is creating a culture of health.
Complete Streets.
Ross County Health District’s CHC Program is collaborating with the city of Chillicothe to develop a Complete Streets Policy. To learn more about Complete Streets please click below.

Priority Communities
For the span of the grant cycle, each subrecipient of the CHC grant is required to select three priority communities to design, implement, and evaluate chronic disease prevention and reduction strategies each grant period. For the 2020-2024 grant cycle, the following communities have been selected as the three priority communities:
City of Chillicothe
Census Track 9565
Paint Valley
Local School District
Ross County
Projects
City of Chillicothe Census Track 9565

2020
2021
2022
Paint Valley Local School District
2020
2021
2022

Ross County

2020
2021
2022
Positive Outcomes
1 Book-a-Bike Program added providing 10 free bicycles and accessories to rent for free
1 Playground and park improved
3 Policies and plans approved
Over 10 bike lanes, sharrows, and crosswalks have been improved or added in Chillicothe
Over 1,000 families provided fresh fruits and vegetables