To the editor:

Here in New Ulm, we’re all extremely proud of the success we’ve seen among ourselves, our family members, neighbors and coworkers, who’ve taken steps to improve their health. Although The Heart of New Ulm Project (HONU) has played an important role, the project certainly doesn’t take credit for it alone. Success has been the result of everyone in our community working together to make it easier to make healthier choices — individuals, businesses, health care, employers, schools, churches, civic organizations, and city and community leaders.

It’s also a result of HONU working closely with another key partner — the local SHIP partnership that serves Brown County along with Nicollet, Le Sueur and Waseca Counties. SHIP stands for Statewide Health Improvement Partnership, an effort that is funded by the Minnesota Legislature to support local communities in working together to prevent the leading causes of death and disease in Minnesota and reduce health care costs.

In SHIP’s very first year, 2010, HONU and Brown County SHIP worked together to help three local facilities implement tobacco-free policies: J&R Schugel Trucking, Shelter Products and Oak Hills Nursing Home. Since that time, SHIP and HONU have continued to work closely on numerous initiatives to maximize limited resources, reach more people, and create a lasting impact. For example, in 2016, we worked together in New Ulm to create Safe Routes to School walking and biking maps, provide education to kids about safe walking and biking, produce a safe driving video, host quarterly worksite wellness events for employers, and much more.

Our local SHIP partner has also been very active in helping to:

•?Support local worksites and organizations in implementing tobacco-free policies

• Establish falls prevention programs and farm-to-table projects for the health of our local seniors

• Establish breastfeeding support programs for the health of our local babies and their mothers

• Facilitate school gardens and farm-to-school efforts for the health of our children and their families

• Promote active living opportunities in our communities to help people maintain a healthy weight through physical activity as well as healthier eating

In fact, in September 2016, the Minnesota Department of Health reported that between 2014 and 2015, Minnesota’s adult obesity rate dropped from 27.6 percent to 26.1 percent, and we were the only state in the region to keep our obesity rates below 30 percent. This is vitally important, as obesity rates can have a major impact on health care costs for related chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes. In addition, Minnesota’s obesity rate for kids ages 2-4 who are enrolled in Women, Infants & Children is now the 8th lowest in the nation (12.3 percent).

Thanks to the efforts of SHIP and its community and private sector partners, increased opportunities for healthy eating and physical activity are happening not just in New Ulm, but for Minnesotans in every corner of the state. That’s why we wholeheartedly support maintaining SHIP as a critical investment for Minnesotans’ health, and encourage our state legislators and governor to fully fund it for the 2017-18 biennium.

The Heart of New Ulm Leadership Team: Jeff Bertrang, New Ulm Public Schools; Carisa Buegler, New Ulm Medical Center; Lydia Drexler, Firmenich Manufacturing; Dr. Daniel Holmberg, New Ulm Medical Center; Karen Moritz, Brown County Public Health; Matt Pearson, Martin Luther College; Laura Schmidt, Hy-Vee; Joey Schugel, City of New Ulm Park and Recreation; Les Schultz, New Ulm City Council; Audra Shaneman, New Ulm Chamber of Commerce; Virginia Suker Moldan, Turner Hall; Staff facilitators: Jennifer Maurer, New Ulm Medical Center; Cindy Winters, The Heart of New Ulm Project and Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation.