Our health is largely influenced by the choices we make for ourselves and our families. But conditions in communities are major factors affecting people’s ability to make healthy choices. Research shows communities that have safe places to play and exercise, good public transportation and housing, quality schools, access to high quality and affordable food, readily available health care, etc., have healthier residents. Economic, social and physical environments can have a greater impact on our health than how often we go to the doctor’s office. In light of this knowledge, the City of Miami Gardens has committed to helping our community to live healthily.
The City of Miami Gardens in partnership with Health Foundation of South Florida launched Live Healthy Miami Gardens (LHMG) in February 2014. After an extensive and highly competitive process led by the Foundation, the City was selected as a grantee to establish and lead LHMG through a six-year, $3.75 million dollar grant. The initiative is now also funded by the National League of Cities (NLC) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Racial and Ethnic Approached to Community Health (REACH). This Collective Impact initiative is part of the city’s strategic and systemic effort to reduce poor health outcomes by engaging community residents to improve identified selected public health indicators. LHMG focuses on strengthening the community’s capacity to collaboratively plan and carryout strategies to make this vibrant community healthier.
LHMG’s ultimate goal is to improve the living conditions in the City of Miami Gardens and make it a healthier place to live, work, play and learn. LHMG aspires to create a community where all residents’ physical, emotional and spiritual needs are fulfilled. LHMG is a Collective Impact Initiative, now backed by 46 coalition member organizations and over 100 individuals, to drive citywide changes that measurably improve the health and life expectancy of people in the City of Miami Gardens. LHMG was built upon the understanding that no single organization can solve tough problems on its own and that community involvement is essential to reducing health disparities. The initiative is designed to develop, implement and sustain effective community-level health strategies for the following Health Impact Areas:
- Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs (ATOD)
- Healthy Eating and Improved Nutrition
- Mental Health
- Physical Activity
- Primary Healthcare
Our Mission
The mission of the Live Healthy Miami Gardens is to foster and maintain a community culture of health and well-being for all residents of the City through access, information, activities and services.
Our Vision
Live Healthy Miami Gardens aspires to create a community where all residents’ physical, emotional and spiritual needs are fulfilled.
Our Values
LHMG has adopted a set of Value Statements that reflects the core principles that guide our work and the organizational culture we inspire to create. These guiding principles are:
Accountability
We take and demonstrate responsibility for our actions and decisions.
Community Engagement
We engage the community in all that we do, recognizing that community involvement is empowering and increases the likelihood of cooperation, ownership and success.
Data Driven
We are committed to utilizing data collection and analysis to guide our decision-making and improve our outcomes.
Education
We educate people, organizations and institutions about how they can support, encourage, and engage in healthy behaviors in the community.
Health Equity
We are committed to eliminating health disparities and systemic disadvantages to ensure everyone in our community has fair opportunity to attain their full health potential.
Sustainability
We will focus on efforts that have a lasting impact.
Our Staff
Thamara Labrousse
Program Director
Thamara has been with LHMG since its inception in July, 2014. She has over 25 years of management experience in social, human service and government settings. Her skills include program design and implementation; community engagement; grant writing; contract management; needs assessment; strategic planning and data analysis; quality management; fiscal and human resource management; and staff and volunteer training and development. Thamara excels in bridging partnerships that bring grassroots leaders together with professionals and policy makers to improve their communities. Her professional experience includes seven years as Vice President with Strategic Partners where she focused on promoting collaboration across systems of care to create seamless, coordinated services for clients; and supporting quality improvements that result in positive client outcomes and cost effectiveness. Prior to that, Thamara worked with Switchboard of Miami, a nonprofit that specializes in Information/Referral; Crisis Intervention; Suicide Prevention; and prevention and clinical services for at-risk youth and their families. Over a period of 15 years, she served in several capacities including Executive Director, Chief Operating Officer and Program Director. She is a double Barry University alumnus, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration and a Master of Science degree in Management.
Quintina Haynes
Administrative Assistant
Quintina joined the LHMG Team in May, 2019. She is responsible for preparation of committee meetings to include maintaining correspondence with live Healthy partners, stakeholders, and volunteers. Assists in implementation of activities and events that promote healthy living, record and report management, scheduling, and various office duties. Her experience includes five years as a Case Manager, evaluating, coordinating, and linking clients and families to needed services; monitoring case progress; conducting safety and needs assessments; staffing and advocacy for children and adults in multiple settings. Additional experience includes two years with Miami Dade County Public Schools as an Interim/Substitute Educator.
Host Agency
The City of Miami Gardens (CMG) serves as LHMG’s Backbone Organization/Host Agency and is responsible for providing support and key functions for the sustained operation of LHMG. Among its roles, the City serves as primary convener, communicator, coordinator and capacity builder and is responsible for the success of the initiative and ensuring that program related policies are implemented. Additionally, the City: Guide vision and strategy; Support aligned activities; Establish shared measurement practices; Build public will; Advance policy; and Mobilize funding and other needed resources.
Host Council
A 17-member Host Council (HC) serves as LHMG’s planning, decision-making and leadership body. The HC is composed of cross-sector leaders, decision-makers, and community members who provide strategic direction, champion the effort, and align their own organization’s work to a common agenda. HC members ensure broad, multi-agency, and resident engagement in LHMG. Members are selected based on their: demonstrated passion for improving health in the city; strong community ties and technical expertise; ability to provide leadership in the implementation of the LHMG’s Community Action Plan; and ability to actively participate in policy determination and evaluation activities. As examples of its work, the HC selected LHMG’s targeted Health Impact Areas (HIAs) after a rigorous analysis and prioritization process; lead effective recruitment and retention strategies for citywide involvement; serves as ambassadors and advocates to help problem-solve; and regularly reviews progress and make recommendations for improvement.
Committees
Committees are work groups that support the overall mission of LHMG. Current LHMG Committees include:
- Advisory: Includes community stakeholders who had a keen interest in the initiative’s success and valuable skills to contribute, but who did not have sufficient time to devote to full Host Council membership. Advisory Committee members served as champions, contributing to efforts to raise awareness and resources and to engage the community.
- Data & Evaluation: Conduct data analysis; create data agendas; fill data gaps; and help lead evaluation activities.
- Governance: To create and maintain the Host Council’s governance structure, as well as policies and procedures for the initiative on the whole.
- Nomination: Develop recruitment and retention strategies and related processes to sustain diversity and vibrancy in leadership.
Subcouncils
LHMG’s three (3) Sub-Councils (SCs) are working groups of cross-sector partners working together to identify and recommend strategies for the Health Impact Areas (HIAs). The SCs are comprised of City residents and stakeholders with keen interest and/or expertise in a specific HIA. The primary roles of the SCs are to: work together to design, align, and implement aligned Community Action Plan strategies and monitor strategy implementation and suggest refinement of indicators based on strategy development. To date, our SCs have played the pivotal role of making funding recommendations resulting in more than $1,843,371 in sub-grants to community organizations working collaboratively with the City to positively impact health behaviors among people in Miami Gardens.
- Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs (ATOD)
- Primary Healthcare and Mental Health
- Physical Activity and Nutrition (PAN)
Communications
Guide and advance marketing; build brand awareness; and to lend input to the promotions of LHMG events, programs and services. Communications was prioritized as an area of focus from the onset of LHMG to ensure adequate branding of the initiative; improve dialogue and engagement with our residents and other community stakeholders; and create social change by changing people’s attitudes, and/or modifying or eliminating certain behaviors.
Our Funders
LHMG was made possible through a generous 6 year, $3.75million dollar grant from our inaugural funder, The Health Foundation of South Florida, the largest not-for-profit grant making organization dedicated solely to health in South Florida. The initiative is now also funded by the National League of Cities (NLC), Big Green, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Racial and Ethnic Approached to Community Health (REACH).
