Greater Cincinnati can be one of the healthiest regions in the country. We can all eat healthy foods. We can all live active lives. We can all enjoy emotional balance free from harmful substances. We can. We will. Together. One community, one individual, one choice at a time.
Empowering Communities, an initiative of Interact for Health, engages communities in health promotion at a grassroots level. Using coaching, workshops and grants, we help communities implement research-based strategies to improve the well-being of their members.
The healthcare safety net is vital to improving health in our region. Everyone deserves access to primary and behavioral healthcare. We will continue to support our providers that serve our regions most vulnerable residents.
To help create connections throughout the philanthropic community, Interact for Health offers our beautiful, state-of-the art Conference Facility as a site for non-profit groups and organizations to host meetings, retreats, workshops, and conferences. Over 30,000 people use the facility each year.
Interact for Health improves the health of people in the Cincinnati region by being a catalyst for health and wellness. We accomplish our mission by promoting healthy living through grants, education, and policy. Interact for Health is an independent nonprofit that serves 20 counties in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.
Interact for Health takes a holistic approach to health promotion. Our strategy, based on the National Prevention Council's National Prevention Strategy, emphasizes five core strategic areas:
• Healthy Eating
• Active Living
• Mental and Emotional Well-being
• Healthy Choices About Substance Use
• Protecting the Healthcare Safety Net
We know the value of an ounce of prevention, and we're partnering with organizations throughout the region to make sure individuals and communities have the resources they need to improve their health and their quality of life.
Interact for Health believes that to have a lasting effect on the health of the community, innovative programs need to be continued. Interact for Health makes resources available to grantees and other non-profits to help them build the skills necessary to sustain their programs. These resources are targeted to smaller non-profit organizations that do not have staff positions devoted to evaluation, marketing, fundraising, and development.
The YMCA of Greater Cincinnati is partnering with Interact for Health to provide a series of free health and wellness opportunities for all in the community this winter. Funday Sundays will be held from noon until 6 p.m. at 12 YMCA locations in February and March, then again in November and December.
Greater Cincinnati Health Watch is a free biweekly e-mail newsletter published by Interact for Health. Each issue includes health news stories from Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and the nation, with emphasis on topics related to Interact for Health's focus areas of substance use disorders, severe mental illness, school-aged children's healthcare, and community primary care. Also, each issue contain sections that highlight our upcoming Requests for Proposals (RFPs), workshops, publications, and other events.
Since 2010, the Kentucky Health Issues Poll (KHIP), sponsored by Interact for Health and the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, has reported Kentucky adults’ views about a statewide, smoke-free law. Laws that provide for smoke-free indoor air in workplaces, restaurants and bars are called comprehensive laws. In the United States, 26 states and the District of Columbia have such laws; Kentucky does not.
In April 2014, Kentucky became one of 40 states to prohibit the sale of electronic nicotine delivery systems, also known as alternative or vapor nicotine products and e-cigarettes, to minors. The most recent Kentucky Health Issues Poll (KHIP) asked what Kentucky adults think about taxing and regulating e-cigarettes.
In Kentucky, dating partners are not included in domestic violence civil protection orders. Under current Kentucky law, protections cover family members, members of an unmarried couple with a child in common, and members of an unmarried couple who are living together or have formerly lived together.
The community plays an important role in health status. For this reason, the 2013 Greater Cincinnati Community Health Status Survey (CHSS) conducted an oversample in Walnut Hills to learn more about its residents and their views on issues related to their health. The CHSS found that 5 in 10 Walnut Hills adults described their health as excellent or very good, similar to the percentage reported overall in Greater Cincinnati. Six in 10 Walnut Hills adults said Walnut Hills was a healthy place to live.
In March 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) became law. Since then, the Kentucky Health Issues Poll (KHIP) has asked Kentucky adults their opinions about the healthcare reform law.
As part of the ACA in Kentucky, kynect allows Kentuckians, including those eligible for the expanded Medicaid program and Kentucky Children’s Health Insurance Program (KCHIP), to search for and enroll in insurance plans. Last year, 521,000 people enrolled through kynect, 75% of whom were previously uninsured.
Kentucky ranks fifth worst in the nation for drug overdose deaths, behind only New Mexico, West Virginia, Nevada and Utah. Drug overdose deaths per capita quadrupled between 1999 and 2010.2 They now surpass motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of accidental death in Kentucky.3 The Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center (KIPRC) reported 980 overdose deaths in 2013.4 KIPRC found that while prescription drug overdose deaths have declined 10% from last year, deaths because of heroin use rose 55% from 129 in 2012 to 200 in 2013.
Many obstacles can prevent access to healthcare. Being able to afford needed medical care and having access to a usual and appropriate1 source of care are just two barriers that may prevent someone from receiving healthcare.
Healthcare reform and changes in the healthcare system are changing the way Kentucky adults receive care. Some of these changes are the result of ehealth, which is the intersection of health, healthcare, the Internet and other electronic technologies.
Having health insurance is an important factor in being able to get needed healthcare. Since 2008, the Kentucky Health Issues Poll (KHIP) has included questions about health insurance coverage to learn about the insurance status of Kentucky adults. Because nearly all Kentuckians 65 and older (97%) are insured, this summary focuses on Kentucky adults ages 18-64.
The Madisonville neighborhood of Cincinnati is home to many long-time residents who remember a vibrant business district and nearby manufacturing plants, and a large number of newcomers drawn to the neighborhood for its affordable housing stock, family-friendly feel, central location and diverse population.
Our state-of-the-art conference facility is available at low cost to nonprofits.
Learn More
Soapbox tells the new Cincinnati story - a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play.
Learn More
SVP brings together local philanthropists to fund and become involved with selected nonprofits to make a difference in the community.
Learn More
Our healthcare reform website provides information about the Affordable Care Act and how it affects consumers and small businesses.
Learn More