Wellness effort uses more ways to reach community
CARIBOU, Maine — Cary Medical Center’s Healthy You community outreach wellness program has delivered more than 400 programs to upwards of 30,000 people throughout Aroostook County since its inception in 2008.
The green and white mailers in use since 2010 have become the recognizable source of Healthy You information, but next year, the program will implement new communication strategies. Program Director Bethany Zell spoke at a recent meeting of the Healthy You Advisory Committee about some exciting changes on deck in 2017.
“Many people have expressed interest in being informed about the programs being held in all of the communities that Healthy You serves, not just twice a year when the program goes to the town where they get their mail delivered,” said Zell. “We recognize that not everyone is online and able to receive the calendar of events by email, but that will be an option for those who are interested.”
Beginning with the January 2017 calendar of events, in addition to an emailed calendar, Facebook event marketing and radio ads, Healthy You will use local newspapers to get the word out.
“A monthly calendar of events in our local weekly publications will allow more people to be informed of Healthy You events in other communities — perhaps in a town where they work, but don’t live,” said Zell.
Community members are encouraged to clip the Healthy You calendar of events from their weekly paper and keep it on their refrigerator.
“We have ordered magnetic frames customized for the printed calendar of events, and the papers will feature a ‘clip and connect’ piece that lets people know how to get a magnetic frame for their home. The frame will also work for people who print out the digital version of the calendar as well,” Zell said.
In 2017, Healthy You will use the following monthly rotation schedule for programming:
Fort Fairfield: January and July (listings in Aroostook Republican, Fort Fairfield Journal and Star-Herald).
Van Buren: February and August (listings in Aroostook Republican, St. John Valley Times and on Fiddlehead Focus).
Washburn: March and August (listings in Aroostook Republican and Star-Herald).
Presque Isle: April and September (listings in Aroostook Republican and Star-Herald).
Caribou: May and October (listings in Aroostook Republican, St. John Valley Times and Star-Herald).
Limestone: June and November (listings in Aroostook Republican and Star-Herald).
A printable calendar of events for each month will also be available via email, on the Healthy You Facebook page at facebook.com/caryhealthyyou, as well as on the Cary Medical Center website, www.carymedicalcenter.org.
To join the email list for a digital calendar of events or to receive a magnetic frame for the event listings, contact Zell at Cary Medical Center, bzell@carymed.org or 498-1361.
