The West Cook YMCA
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WHY EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMS

The Y believes the movement’s infrastructure offers several advantages in developing and disseminating programs:

  • The Y routinely works with researchers, health professionals, local YMCAs, and health policy experts.

  • The Y’s extensive reach enables it to scale up key preventive health initiatives resulting in improvement in population health.

  • The methodical approach creates a pipeline for evidence-based programs that reduce the incidence of preventable chronic diseases.

 

Without new evidence-based programs to address chronic diseases, health disparities, and the health-related concerns of an aging population, many preventable diseases and conditions could dramatically limit or even stop the life expectancy gains that have been achieved in the U.S. over the past several decades. In fact, some experts believe that if chronic diseases are not reduced, children born today will be the first generation in 200 years to live shorter lives than their parents. That is why we develop and deliver thoroughly tested programs that give people the knowledge and support to make healthier choices and prevent or manage chronic diseases.

HOW DOES EVIDENCE INFORM OUR WORK

Y-USA Program Development starts the Program Discovery, Development, and Dissemination process by mining promising healthy living program models that emerge from local YMCA innovations, academic studies, and other community organizations. Once it is discovered that a Y can deliver a program and achieve the intended results, it is then moved through the process to test translation models. Once programs are identified that can be scaled effectively, the team works to develop systems to implement them nationwide.

Why Evidence Based Programs Smart Shape

EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMS SUCCESS

Several factors have contributed to the Y’s success with the Program Discovery, Development, and Dissemination process:

  • The Y is nationally recognized for its ability to scale innovative evidence-based programs

  • The Y has one of the nation’s leading program distribution infrastructures

  • The Y is a trusted organization in communities across the country with a reputation for reliability and advancement

  • Strong community ties grant us the credibility to work closely with community stakeholders

The Y serves 22 million people across the nation, positioning it to be the country’s leading provider of preventive health programs to improve the nation’s health and well-being.