For Immediate Release: January 29, 2007
Contact: Donald Sico 609-351-3591 or Sarah McLallen 609-393-4931
Trenton – The New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute (NJHCQI) today announced that it has selected New Jersey native Judy Doyle, a Registered Nurse and marathoner, to lead its Mayors Wellness Campaign (MWC). Almost 180 New Jersey mayors have pledged their support to the MWC, extending the active living and healthy lifestyle effort to nearly one-third of the entire state.
“Thanks to the efforts of Ann McDonald, our consultant and project manager, the Mayors Wellness Campaign has grown by leaps and bounds in just our first year,” said David Knowlton, President and CEO of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute. “We now need to bring someone in full time to take the MWC into the next phase of program implementation and evaluation. We were fortunate to find someone of Judy’s caliber to lead that effort.”
A Morristown resident, Judith Doyle is a Registered Nurse who has a Masters in Administrative Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Ms. Doyle is an avid runner and bicycler who is a regular participant in both the New York Marathon and the “Five-Borough” bike ride in New York. Prior to accepting the position with the Mayors Wellness Campaign, Ms. Doyle worked as a pharmaceutical representative and for Atlantic Health System as a critical care nurse. She has also worked as a consultant to the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) advising the University on the implementation of their computerized charting system.
“I am excited by this new opportunity to combine my passion for fitness and active living and my education and work experience together to help my home state,” said Doyle. “I have admired the work that has been done by Ann McDonald and the Mayors Wellness Campaign and I am pleased to now head it up.”
“NJ municipalities have embraced the goal of reducing obesity through activity. The MWC has put together an amazing network of local, state and academic partners,” said Ann McDonald. “The MWC now has almost 180 communities participating and requiresa full time leadership role. The Campaign will continue to grow in membership. Towns should feel comfortable sharing best practices with someone of Judy’s determination and skill set. This ‘sharing’ effort will help to establish a statewide baseline of activity programs and encourage evaluation of existing programs thereby fostering collaborative learning across municipalities.”
The MWC supports mayors as champions of community health. The goal is to increase opportunities for New Jersey residents to participate in daily physical activity with a long-term goal of reducing health care costs secondary to obesity. Through public-private partnerships, the MWC provides structure and resources for healthy community initiatives. By encouraging mayors to play a leadership role in supporting local opportunities for active, healthy lifestyles, the intent of the MWC is to improve health and make New Jersey a national leader in community-based health interventions.
Last spring, each of the 566 mayors in New Jersey’s municipalities were mailed the MWC “Toolbox,” a manual designed to guide them through the implementation of wellness programs in their communities. Broken down into four major sections – Youth in Motion; Employees in Motion; Seniors in Motion; and Communities in Motion – the Toolbox outlines programs that can be directly used in every community in New Jersey. The Toolbox can also be found on the MWC website at www.mayorswellnesscampaign.org.
The MWC is an initiative of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute (www.njhcqi.org) in partnership with the New Jersey State League of Municipalities (www.njslom.org). Major funding has been provided by Aetna and BeneCard. Additional funding has been provided by the New Jersey Department of Transportation, St. Francis Hospital, Robert Wood Johnson Hospital – Hamilton, Johnson & Johnson, Pennoni Associates, Pfizer and Bayville Holdings, LLC. The Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University, the Regional Plan Association and the Ramapo College Nursing Program were instrumental in the research and development of the MWC during its initial stages.
