Morristown Named a 2018 Mayor's Wellness Healthy Town

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Morristown was recognized as a 2018 Mayor's Wellness Healthy Town through the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute’s Mayors Wellness Campaign.

The honor is given to towns where "mayors have made healthy lifestyles a top priority and are actively engaging all the members of their community," the campaign says. The other New Jersey towns to earn the distinction in 2018 are Bergenfield, Chatham, Montclair, Plainfield, Princeton, Stone Harbor, and Westwood. All towns that meet the standards are recognized each year.

"On behalf of the town and the Morristown Mayor’s Wellness Campaign, I am honored to receive the Mayors Wellness Campaign Healthy Town for 2018 designation,” said Mayor Tim Dougherty. “The mission of the Mayor’s Wellness Campaign is to develop, implement and encourage active and healthy living within our community and this designation reflects our commitment to making health and wellness a top priority in Morristown."

Morristown offered the following activities to help get people moving, and to keep the town healthy:

• Senior Chair Yoga – Modified yoga that can be done while seated allows for participants who would otherwise be unable to partake in yoga classes to benefit.
• Senior Holiday Party – Addresses loneliness within the senior community during the holiday season and provides an opportunity for isolated seniors to socialize and participate in community events.
• Mayor’s Walk and Talk – Mayor Timothy Dougherty leads walks with residents to promote physical activity.

Six categories are considered when selecting healthy towns:

• Defining Health Broadly – addressing the social and economic factors that impact health outcomes.
• Measurement and Data Sharing – identifying measurable health indicators and establishing shared goals with partners.
• Health Equity – reducing, and ultimately eliminating, health disparities by focusing programming on those most affected by poor
• health outcomes.
• Procurement of Resources – harnessing the collective power of your MWC Committee and local business partners to efficiently align
• resources that maximize community health.
• Collaboration – building diverse partnerships across sectors to build capacity for programming.
• Commitment to Sustainability – developing programs that are designed to last

This is the second time this week Morristown has been recognized for being healthy. Morris County as a whole was named the healthiest county in the state according to a 2019 study released by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute in partnership with Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.