Picture of Health: A collaboration to improve Jacksonville’s health
Unity. It’s not a word that commonly describes the relationship between six organizations that offer similar services throughout one community. However, that is exactly what was achieved with the Museum of Science and History’s newest exhibit, Health in Motion – Discover what MOVES you.
UF Health Jacksonville collaborated with Baptist Health, Brooks Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic, St. Vincent’s Health Care and Wolfson Children’s Hospital to create health-centric content for the exhibit. Representatives from each of these organizations worked side-by-side to share information about how the body systems function and the major issues that plague Duval County: heart disease, asthma, traumatic brain injuries, stroke, diabetes and obesity.
“UF Health Jacksonville is proud to be a part of the unique collaboration efforts with MOSH and five other health care institutions throughout Jacksonville,” CEO Russ Armistead said. “We all share a common commitment to providing accurate information in order to expand the knowledge and better the health of the people within our community. The new Health in Motion exhibit showcases the importance of presenting a unified voice across the communities we serve in Northeast Florida and beyond.”
On June 18, MOSH kicked off its grand opening celebration with special presentations about healthy living and interactive booths from the local hospitals and other organizations like the Jacksonville Jaguars. For the exhibit, UF Health Jacksonville physicians contributed facts and statistics on heart disease and stroke. These two areas greatly impact our community, and the Health in Motion display shares information about how to prevent these two deadly diseases.
The exhibit shows visitors how external factors affect the health of our community and provides solutions to encourage residents to live healthier lifestyles. At the end of the exhibit, they are tasked with accepting the 5-2-1-0 challenge, which encourages everyone to make simple, but beneficial changes in their day-to-day lives.
“Health in Motion is a unique exhibit for Jacksonville and its surrounding areas in that it speaks to relevant health issues in our community. It simply integrates how our personal lifestyle choices, combined with external factors, like built environments, education and income, impact our individual and communitywide health,” said Maria Hane, executive director at MOSH. “This is a great model for collective impact and we hope other cities will use this as an example.”
The health needs of the community are a top priority for UF Health Jacksonville. This project not only sparked a conversation about how to improve the overall health of the community, but also gave these organizations a chance to collaborate on an exhibit that will have a positive impact on Jacksonville residents for years to come. For more information about the Health in Motion exhibit, visit TheMOSH.org.