A collaborative effort to improve the health of Allentown residents could improve productivity at workplaces and possibly save $577 million over a decade.
Lehigh Valley Health Network is working with city officials to explore making Allentown a Blue Zones community. 
Blue Zones Project seeks to improve physical and mental health and well-being by making changes to surroundings that encourage people to make healthier choices. That can range from restaurants and school cafeterias having healthier menus to grocery stores displaying healthier items more prominently. Cities can become more walkable and bikeable with the addition of more sidewalks and bike lanes. Farmers markets, with their healthy produce, can be made more accessible by locating them along transit lines.
Blue Zones gets its name from areas of the world that have been identified as hotspots for longevity, including Loma Linda, California; Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria, Greece; Nicoya, Costa Rica; and Okinawa, Japan.
The initiative kicked off in Allentown the week of June 19 with several meetings of stakeholders. Among them were Allentown School District officials, food banks, religious organizations, health organizations, community nonprofits, elected officials, and Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. (LVEDC).
"Lehigh Valley Health Network is committed to providing exceptional care and improving the well-being of the people in the communities we serve,” said Brian A. Nester, DO, MBA, President and CEO of LVHN. “By partnering with Blue Zones and the city, we have an opportunity to expand our efforts in Allentown and work together to address the social determinants of health that impact our patients and their families. Together, we believe we can ultimately improve health outcomes for everyone in the community.”
LVHN is covering the cost of the initial readiness evaluation currently underway. Should the community decide to go forward with implementing a multi-year plan, additional partners will be needed.
Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk said Blue Zones “marks a step forward in building a healthier and more equitable Allentown, which aligns with our vision to create a more sustainable and vibrant community. I believe that by working together with Blue Zones, LVHN, and other local organizations, we can build a brighter, safer, and better future for everyone in Allentown.”
Blue Zones currently is evaluating Allentown’s needs. In about two months, it expects to propose how to implement a plan that would be led by staff hired from the local community.
“We are excited to work with leaders and people in Allentown who are committed to building a community that supports healthy living,” Blue Zones CEO Ben Leedle said. “Allentown leaders are investing in well-being at the community level, which brings exponential returns as research shows improved well-being leads to healthier and happier residents, a more productive and higher-performing workforce for adults, and better student achievement for schools, colleges, and universities.”
The goal of the program is to identify achievable outcomes such as incremental reductions in the prevalence of obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other ailments.
Blue Zones projects that $577 million could be saved, by reducing lost worker productivity and reducing medical costs, over a decade if even slight improvements occur.
The productivity of workplaces can improve because healthier people are less likely to call off work unexpectedly. They are more likely to carry out their duties in a safe manner, and they perform at a higher level. They also are less likely to consider quitting. Workforce retention is one of the biggest challenges for employers in the Lehigh Valley and nationally.
The Blue Zones model has been applied in more than 70 communities across North America, impacting more than 4.5 million people.
After the program was implemented in Fort Worth, Texas, smoking dropped by 31%. In Albert Lea, Minnesota, there was a 49% decrease in medical claims for city workers and lifespans increased by 2.9 years. In part of the Los Angeles area, there was a 25% decrease in obese and overweight adults and the school district spent 11% less in prescription costs.
The Blue Zones will be back in Allentown in September to present a comprehensive report on the possible benefits that implementing a full transformation project could have on residents’ health and well-being, and what economic benefit those improvements could provide.
More information is available at www.bluezones.com/activate-allentown/.
(Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk speaks at the Blue Zones kickoff event, photo courtesy of Lehigh Valley Health Network.)