At a forum hosted by Old Dominion University, Global Action Platform and EdLogics launched a new initiative to improve the health and prosperity of the Hampton Roads region--a region including Virginia Beach, Newport News, Williamsburg, Suffolk and Norfolk.

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Healthier 757 is a regional collaboration to improve health and prosperity for everyone in the region

•      This multi-stakeholder, integrated, community-based program bridges the work site and the community, connecting Hampton Roads through an interactive digital health platform which provides a vehicle for increasing awareness, communication, education, engagement, and behavior change

•      Creates a new model for improving health literacy that will enhance the health of our citizens, workforce quality and establish the region as a rising hub of healthcare innovation

•      With support from our leaders and sponsors,the digital platform will available to everyone in the region at no cost to them

Program Description

The EdLogics health gamification platform is the learning technology backbone of Healthier 757. The platform features high impact  

game-based learning,  

rewards for progress, and

rich content covering a broad range of health topics from chronic conditions, to preventative health, to navigating the healthcare system.

Through a regional collective impact project, the platform will be made available community-wide and free of charge to the citizens of Hampton Roads. Local programs at schools, community health partners, retirement centers, churches, and other non-profit organizations will be tied into the platform. Promotion will occur using websites, social media, print, and broadcast media.

A key component of the initiative is the use of incentives and rewards to encourage individuals to engage, increase their health knowledge and change behavior.Incentives will be partially subsidized by local businesses and will include cash prizes, gift cards, fitness devices, memberships, health and technology products, and other rewards.  

The digital platform is proven, easy-to-use, and can be accessed using most web browsers on desktop and mobile devices, making it readily accessible to anyone with access to the internet. The platform is highly configurable and can be customized to specific population segments and runs on a modern, scalable, secure,HIPAA-compliant, cloud-hosted technology infrastructure. Today, EdLogics is being successfully used by a variety of organizations including corporations,municipalities, school systems and universities.  

Global Action Platform is the leading university-business alliance working to advance scalable, sustainable solutions for abundant food, health, and prosperity. As a neutral NGO convener,Global Action Platform designs and leads collective impact projects with the promise of large-scale impact.    

Global Action Platform is the anchor backbone organization for Healthier 757. In this role, Global Action Platform will work with area leaders and institutions to create a shared agenda, metrics, aligned activities, and communications among stakeholders.The local design will specify how the digital platform can be integrated into existing community-based programs to add an education component plus drive engagement and participation in those programs. Therefore, the digital platform becomes the catalyst for connecting and enhancing local programs to create collective impact.

The comprehensive community-implementation has many innovative and important features, including the following distinctive, high-value components:

Advanced data analytics: the platform creates a rich body ofdata at both an individual and population level that can be used to find new solutions and improve outcomes.

Multi-sector/Community Implementation: instead of implementing the program in stand-alone, single businesses or agencies, the program is a multi-sector,community-wide collective impact program that can be replicated with national significance.  

National Expert Review: The Health Literacy Task Force provides oversight, feedback, and guidance on program design, implementation, and research objectives. The Task Force is currently chaired by Russell Rothman, MD, MPP, Vice President for Population Health Research Director, Center for Health Services Research,Vanderbilt University, and comprised of other health literacy experts from around the nation.

The comprehensive program includes:

interactive digital health platform;  

community partnerships;

local community collective impact facilitation and design;

marketing and promotion;

operational support;

analytics;

R&D and continuous quality improvement.

Regional program managers will work with sponsors, community organizations and other stakeholders to leverage local resources, networks and existing programs to promote and drive awareness. Local universities serve as strategic outreach partners and provide academic research expertise. Program funding will also be allocated to support research and data analysis to measure outcomes and demonstrate the effectiveness of the program.

Creating a Regional Innovation Hub

With its strategic location, potential for growth, and a desire to become a leader in healthcare innovation, Hampton Roads is well-positioned as the model site for developing a new approach to improving heath and unleashing prosperity. As the birthplace of EdLogics, the region is ideal for the to grow this new community impact health literacy model. In addition, key stakeholders are excited about the potential impact improved health literacy can have on the region.

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