Healthy People, Healthy Community, Healthy Planet
“Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.”
Jeremiah 33:6, The Voice
If our bodies are created in the Image of God and are therefore temples of the Divine, then we are called to advocate that Hoosiers have access to good affordable health care, nutritious food and safe places to live.
Healthy Hoosiers are happier, more productive and able to build stronger, more resilient communities.
We advocate for strong environmental policies to protect people from harmful effects of pollution of air, water and soil. Pollution has been correlated to asthma, heart disease, cancers, chronic disease, learning disabilities, premature birth and premature death.
We advocate for thoughtful policies that encourage healthy, regenerative agriculture that meet the needs of humans and wildlife. Research has demonstrated that regenerative techniques such as cover crops and no-till farming improves soil health, reduces loss of topsoil and improves water quality. These changes can increase economic benefits and create a more hospitable environment for beneficial wildlife like pollinators and birds.
We believe that everyone needs access to affordable healthcare, including vaccinations, perinatal care, culturally competent care and availability of family spacing. A century ago, families were devastated by diphtheria and polio outbreaks, which have been controlled by vaccination programs. Perinatal health is improved by community support, easy access to good nutrition and competent prenatal care. Women are healthier when they can choose to space their pregnancies with safe and effective family planning.
We advocate for whole person health, including compassionate services and support for those with behavioral health and addiction needs.
We believe that public health departments in every community are important partners of a healthy community. From our recent pandemic we have learned that having trusted local messengers support our communities’ health and livelihood is effective.
We believe that empowering our local public health departments to make medically sound policies, determine the needs of their community and be empowered to take action as health experts in their communities should be adequately funded.