In 2014, Krista Woolly brought together a group of six community leaders through the Blue Cross Blue Shield Community Centered Health Homes grant project. Those individuals now serve as the Executive Leadership team for Healthy Rowan.

December 14, 2014 – BCBSNCF Community-Centered Health Homes Grant, which focused on upstream prevention through community-centered health homes.

In 2015, the executive team submitted a small Action-Learning grant to BCBSNCF to focus energy toward strategic community engagement.

In February of 2016, this group held the Community Forum on Health bringing 150 citizens together to focus on improving our health. Two nationally recognized speakers: Dr. Soma Stout – 1 million healthier lives challenge and Rev. Richard Joyner – a wide array of social involvement – youth empowerment, minority health, rural sustainability, and community gardens were brought in to share their perspective on health and how communities can work together.

From this point, things moved very quickly in getting Healthy Rowan established. Community collaboration started here, people met others and started the conversation going around health.

In December of 2016, Healthy Rowan was awarded a $450,000 grant through The Duke Endowment’s Healthy People, Healthy Carolinas initiative program. This funding provides support for coalition capacity building and funding to address chronic disease and obesity in our community.