Breaking Boundaries, Working Together

Creating Collective Impact in Bay Area Land Conservation14th Annual Open Space Conference

May 16, 2013

Health Benefits of Open Space

Nooshin Razani, MD MPHPediatrician, Children’s Hospital Oakland

Curtis Chan, MD MPHMedical Director of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, SFDPH

nrazani@mail.cho.orgCurtis.chan@sfdph.org

Objectives

• Identify major health benefits of open space

• Present two partnerships between parks and health

• Discuss opportunities for collaboration

Open Space Benefits Health

Bedimo-Rung et al., Am J of Preventive Med, 2005

Physical Health Benefits of Nature

• Physical activity• Obesity• Benefits of green

exercise• Vitamin D• Myopia• Longevity

Mental Health Benefits of Nature• By experiences inor nearness to the park• Affects wide diversity of people• Improve mood• Reduce stress• Enhance sense of wellness• Decrease depression & sadness• Decrease anxiety

HPHP Mission Statement

To increase opportunities to improve the health and wellbeing of all Bay Area residents, especially those with high health needs, through regular use and enjoyment of parks.

Medical Clinic Approach: Intensive

• Community based design and implementation

• Give providers tools to recommend specific outdoor programs that promote health

• Welcome new users to parks in a culturally appropriate, sustainable way.

Public Health Approach: Diffuse

• Bridging systems: Parks, Healthcare, Communities

• Reducing barriers: Cultural, Literacy

• Prioritizing Disparities: Under-represented in Parks but over-burdened with chronic disease

• Regionalization: Relationships, media

• Standardization: Name, logo, welcome, benefits, programming

Public Health Approach: Diffuse

Opportunities for Collaboration

• Partnership between parks, public health, and healthcare helps agencies achieve their mission.

• Regionalization is powerful and effective

• How can public health and healthcare increase and improve open space resources?

Join us!First Saturday of the month

Healthy Parks Healthy People Nature Walks