A family wellness center in Smoketown and free Saturday morning classes to promote healthy lifestyles were among the recommendations offered by the 2016 Bingham Fellows on ways to improve the community's health after a nearly yearlong study.

The 36 community leaders working under the Leadership Louisville program picked "Empowering Citizens to Live Healthier Lives" as a class study topic at the start of the program in January.

The class reported its findings Thursday at Actors Theatre, with the intent to suggest projects that the class said will address the social and economic factors that "impact wellness, improve health behaviors, provide better access to clinical care, and improve the physical environment."

The 2016 Bingham Fellows decided to focus on improving the community's health because Louisville is regularly rated as one of the unhealthiest cities in the country by many metrics. Many diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, could be reduced through emphasis on healthier lifestyles and behaviors, the class said.

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Members of the class developed the recommendations by leveraging their collective knowledge to engage local and national companies, nonprofit organizations, and public agencies in order to get a deeper understanding of how they might impact positive change.

A main conclusion was that good health begins long before a person reaches the doctor’s office.

The five projects are:

» A Smoketown Family Wellness Center – A new model for health care delivery. The class said that the life expectancy of a child born in Smoketown is 10 years less than that of children born in many other Louisville neighborhoods. The goal is to open a neighborhood wellness center next March.

The Smoketown Family Wellness Center's mission would be to increase life expectancy and improve the quality of life with an innovative approach to health care that combines medical care for kids with healthy-lifestyle support for the whole family in a community-based setting.

The center would provide comprehensive pediatric care, family coaching to assess the strengths and needs, and programming to serve the needs of families.

» SaturPlay – Building healthy bodies and strong character. The program calls for the Greater Louisville YMCA, Dare to Care, Metro Parks, and the Shawnee Boys & Girls Club to sponsor a SaturPlay program for six weeks.   It would provide youth with free Saturday access to physically active play in a safe environment, healthy snacks, and character education that encourages kids to demonstrate caring, respect, honesty, and responsibility through teaching, the class said.

Key components would include activities to attract kids with different interests, abilities, and fitness levels, as well as two servings of a healthy snack that kids help prepare – one to enjoy onsite, and one to take home.

» Louisville Active – Creating a culture of active lifestyles. The program is committed to helping the community understand the value of physical activity in improving overall health and quality of life. The intent is to create a "culture of movement in our city" by offering programming to encourage residents to get active.

Efforts might include walking groups and programs through the Louisville Sports Commission. Louisville Active is planned to be a committee of the Sports Commission and a partner with the Mayor’s Healthy Hometown Movement and the Louisville Department of Health and Wellness.

» The Smoketown Laundry – a place where residents can learn new skills and obtain health services, while providing community meeting space.

Through a partnership with Youth Build, IDEAS xLab, Simmons College, Bates Community Development Corp., Jewish Career and Family Services, KentuckyOne Health, and Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s Foundation, Smoketown Laundry will have a small-business incubator and a community health coordinator who will be hired to teach the importance of making healthy choices and also serve as a health advocate.

» An annual Healthy Teen Breakup Summit, planned in February 2017.  The class said that many young people engage in multiple relationships through their teenage years, making mistakes and developing relationship skills.  "The ensuing breakups can be messy, uncomfortable, and hurtful, with some teens turning to violence to deal with their conflicts," the class said.

For the summit, about 150 teens will be invited to participate. The one-day program will address themes and trends in teen relationships and study the disruptive effects of disrespect, cheating, social shaming, and violence. The Metro Health Department would be the main sponsor of the program, with others, including the Center for Women & Families, providing support to train and empower teens to engage in respectful, nonviolent interactions.

The Bingham Fellows program is an effort of the Leadership Louisville Center. The Bingham Fellows program was created in 1988 through a $500,000 endowment from the Mary and Barry Bingham Sr. Fund.

Now graduating its 24th class, the Bingham Fellows over the years have advanced the West Louisville community development organization OneWest, created The Housing Partnership, promoted the growth of local farmers markets, and been instrumental in developing numerous other positive outcomes.

Reporter Sheldon S. Shafer can be reached at (502) 582-7089, or via email at sshafer@courier-journal.com.

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