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HEAL City Spotlight: Laurel, MD

Updated July 2019

Patricia Haag, Risk Management Officer, (left) and other attendees and visitors at the Community Health Fair.

The City of Laurel joined the HEAL Campaign in 2014. Eager to expand healthy eating and active living opportunities throughout the City, City staff, Council Members, and Mayor Craig A. Moe have worked together to achieve new policy goals outlined in the City’s HEAL resolution. In 2017, the City achieved Silver level recognition for adding new city bike lanes and upgrading City parks, athletic fields, playgrounds, pools, and the local Community Center with an enlarged fitness room and dance studio. These achievements illustrate the City’s efforts to promote bikeability and walkability and expand healthy living opportunities for residents and community members.

Since 2017, the City has focused on creating a healthy environment for City employees by implementing workplace wellness strategies that help staff eat better and move more throughout the workday. In 2019, the City Administrator’s Office began a program to promote walking meetings by encouraging higher-level staff to initiate 30-minute walking meetings, weather permitting. City staff launched a monthly Lunch ‘n Learn where guest lecturers present health and wellness topics ranging from breast cancer awareness to diabetes prevention. Staff have also taken the initiative to offer healthy food options in municipal buildings by selecting a new vender that has replaced unhealthy and high sugar content foods with fresh and healthy vending options.

Last year the City hosted its first public Community Health Fair. Over 400 participants attended the event that featured 50 vendors who provided information and health services to attendees. “We really tried to look at our community needs and have someone there representing those needs” explained Patricia Haag, Risk Management Officer for the City of Laurel. Attendees received flu shots and complimentary screenings for cholesterol, diabetes, hearing, and vision. In addition, attendees learned CPR training and receive acupuncture from practitioners from the University of Maryland School of Integrative Medicine. Ms. Haag is excited to see this partnership evolve through further employee wellness opportunities, including an employee health challenge and staff wellness day hosted in conjunction with the Community Wellness Fair.

In June 2018, the City of Laurel received Gold level recognition at the annual Maryland Municipal League Summer Conference in Ocean City. The following year, Laurel was awarded Platinum level recognition, the HEAL Campaign’s highest recognition level. Congratulations, Laurel for your achievements!