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The City of Asbury Park was named a New Jersey “Healthy Town to Watch” by the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute (Quality Institute) in their annual Mayors Wellness Campaign (MWC) recognition program for 2019. Asbury Park has participated in the MWC since 2017 and this is the first year the City has been recognized by the Quality Institute for its efforts.

The Quality Institute is an independent, nonpartisan advocate working in New Jersey that promotes accountability and transparency in the Health Care industry. Their mission is to improve the safety, quality, and affordability of health care for everyone. The MWC, a program of the Quality Institute in partnership with the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, empowers mayors across the state with evidence-based tools, strategies, and support to champion health and wellness in their communities.

Each year, participating MWC communities complete a comprehensive application outlining the research they’ve done to identify community health needs and highlight the actions they’ve taken to make their communities healthier places to live, work, and play.

“Receiving the Quality Institute’s designation as a “Healthy Town to Watch” is an outstanding achievement for the City of Asbury Park,” said Mayor John Moor. “It reflects the tremendous efforts that our community, and the members of the Mayors Wellness Committee, have put forward towards improving the health and well-being of our community. We are incredibly grateful to Nina Summerlin of the Alliance for a Healthier Asbury Park for her work leading Asbury Park ALIVE!, as well as to Mayors Wellness Committee member Wendi Glassman for her time and efforts in submitting our application.”

Asbury Park’s local needs assessment showed residents suffer from higher rates of obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure than the rest of Monmouth County. As part of the application, the City submitted the following programs from 2019 created to improve the health of residents:

• Asbury ALIVE!—The citywide event closed streets to motorized traffic, replacing vehicles with art, music, and activities, and encouraging the community to bike, walk and participate in wellness activities and screenings.
• Tailgate for Health—A community tailgate party providing a healthy lunch, wellness education and screenings, and fun activities related to nutrition and disease prevention.
• Harvest Health Fair— Held every fall at the Senior Center, this event provides health screenings and wellness information, a healthy lunch and giveaways for the City’s senior community.
• March Madness Basketball Tournament—Youth and adult teams competed for prizes in the annual basketball tournament held at the Boys & Girls Club.
• Aqua Zumba— An instructional course in Aqua Zumba was held in the pool at the Boys & Girls Club for attendees of all ages.
• Surfrider Family Day—The MWC supported Surfrider with games and activities for children at the annual Family Day event on the beach. Surfrider provides a healthy lunch and free surf lessons for Asbury Park youth.

Current Mayors Wellness Committee Members include:

• Mayor John Moor
• Deputy City Manager / Transportation Director Michael Manzella (Chair)
• Allison Cerco, Hackensack Meridian
• Doug Eagles, Boys & Girls Club
• Wendi Glassman, Resident
• Lisa Lee, EZ Ride
• Lorraine Pearlman, Resident
• Vic Sood, Home Drug Store
• Adrian Searight, Coral Harbor Rehabilitation Center

To learn more about the Quality Institute’s Mayors Wellness Campaign, visit njhcqi.org/MWC. For more information on the City of Asbury Park’s Mayors Wellness Committee, visit cityofasburypark.com/wellness. For more information on the City of Asbury Park, visit cityofasburypark.com.

[Feature Photo From 2019 AP Alive]

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