Grimm selected for Community Health Academy

SANDPOINT — Mayor Jeremy Grimm has been chosen to participate in the Community Health Academy, a program that helps mayors and city staff learn and understand their role in building healthy communities.

The program is held by the Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health.

Grimm was one of 16 officials in the state whose application was accepted and will be participating in the 2024 cohort of Community Health Academy. The five-month program brings together leaders from Idaho communities to learn from local and national experts, collaborate with each other, and activate a program or project that improves the health of their community.

Cities receive a $20,000 grant at the conclusion of the academy that is used for a program or project that benefits community health.

“I look forward to learning how other communities have successfully implemented programs that improve the health of their residents," Grimm said in a press release. 

Together, with the generous $20,000 grant that the city will receive upon his completion of the program, Grimm said Sandpoint will be able to test new efforts locally to implement a variety of health-positive programs in town. 

"I am grateful to the Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for making this innovative opportunity available to Sandpoint. They stand out as not just a funder, but a true partner in our future success," he added. "Together with our numerous local nonprofits, I know that we can leverage this funding to improve the health of every Sandpoint resident.”

The academy begins in June and includes sessions in July, August, September and October. The academy uses a hybrid model with some sessions done in person and some virtually. Topics addressed include childcare, civility, early education, communications and branding, designing health communities, food systems, housing, and youth behavioral health.

“Community Health Academy is one of our most impactful programs because most mayors and elected officials learn how their actions can help build healthy communities,” said Courtney Frost, senior program officer for the Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health. “The academy includes grant funding, so cities will have the resources to launch a project or program that will improve the health of communities in Idaho.”

Community Health Academy has been offered by the Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health since 2017. There have been 38 Idaho communities that have attended the previous six cohorts of the academy.