Healthy Communitites

The Florida Department of Health in Lee County (DOH-Lee) recognizes the value in bringing organizations together on shared goals to improve the health of people in Lee County. Through the Healthy Communities program, we work with community partners to prevent chronic diseases from continuing to grow in our area. We are taking steps to bring change to the places and organizations that touch people’s lives every day—schools, worksites, health care sites, and other community settings.

Chronic Disease Prevention Programs

Chronic diseases are defined broadly as conditions that last one year or more and that require ongoing medical attention or limit activities of daily living or both. Chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States.

Some of the prevention programs available for Lee County residents include: 

• Insulin and Epilepsy Prescription Assistance programs at DOH-Lee
• Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection program at DOH-Lee
• Diabetes Prevention program at Lee Health
• Diabetes Self-Management and Education program at Lee Health
• Chronic Disease Prevention provides information of all statewide programs

Early Care and Education (ECE) and School Settings

DOH-Lee has partnered with the School District of Lee County to encourage and support healthy nutrition and physical activity in early education and school settings.

For more information, visit GoNAPSACC.org

Healthy Living Collaboration works to improve overall health and increase food security for School District of Lee County students and families.

Through our teamwork, we have brought together more community partners to expand these efforts and create sustainable strategic plans.

• Students are spending more time outside in the soil, school gardens are flourishing, more students are being exposed to local produce and tasting it through their school cafeterias.
• In the 2022-23 school year, the school gardens have harvested 4,398 pounds of produce.

To learn more about the program, its partners, and current projects, visit LeeSchools.net.

Healthy Schools Assessment

DOH-Lee works with the School District of Lee County to complete the Healthy Schools Assessment. This assessment is a subset of questions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's School Health Index that allows schools and districts to evaluate their health policies and programs in the areas of:

• Policy and Environment
• Nutrition Services
• Smart Snacks, Health and Physical Education
• Physical Activity
• Employee Wellness

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation (Healthier Generation) Healthy Schools Framework of Best Practices identifies specific criteria for a healthy school environment and serves as a guide for policy and practice change.

To learn more about the program, visit HealthierGeneration.org.

Community Settings

For information about how DOH-Lee is working with the community to prevent illness, injury, and death related to environmental factors visit our PACE-EH webpage.