Accepting the Challenge Fort Dodge is on its way to becoming a healthier community. Dr. Leland Kaiser, a noted health futurist, facilitated a community conference that was cosponsored by Trinity Regional Hospital and the Catherine Vincent Deardorf Foundation on September 23, 1996. Dr. Kaiser spoke about the new broader definition of health. The future is about communities that own their disease, poverty, ignorance and crime and are therefore empowered to transform these negative elements into positive qualities of health, economic well-being, insight and moral citizenship. Together, the three words that compose this name affirm the concept of the effort.
Community means broad-based and inclusive of the entire community.
Action represents the primary purpose of the project, which is to take action on community issues. Network signifies that this initiative will serve as a community-wide network, which will work with existing community organizations and agencies to develop a synergism and a shared vision for positive community action. Defining a healthy community depends on how we look at ourselves and our community and what vision, if any, we have for the future. For some, it is about personal health. For others, it is about economic opportunity.