Hospitals in Action >> Case Examples

MAINE GENERAL HEALTH, Augusta and Waterville, ME
Move More

What is it?
The Move More program is a community-wide program that gives people the information and support they need to eat well, be physically active, prevent chronic disease, and manage chronic disease. By working with area residents, schools, and community centers, Move More has identified and mapped indoor and outdoor walking spaces, and has trained community volunteers called Movers and Lay Health Educators to provide peer support to people who want to be more physically active. Move More is free and offers enrollees a pedometer, maps of outdoor walking trails and lists of indoor walking spaces, physical activity log sheets, and other resources to help them get started.

Who is it for?
The entire community, especially those with chronic diseases and those at risk for those diseases.

Why do they do it?
The Kennebec Valley Region in Maine is a rural, economically depressed area in which many people have poor health status. For example, in 2005, diabetes prevalence in Kennebec County was higher than the prevalence reported either nationally or for the entire state of Maine. After a community-based planning process identified addressing chronic diseases as a need in the region, Move More was created in 1999 to prevent disease and help people manage chronic diseases by changing health behaviors, such as increasing physical activity, improving nutrition, and developing other health self-care skills.

Contact: Natalie Morse
Director, MaineGeneral Prevention Center
Phone: 207-872-1788
Email: natalie.morse@mainegeneral.org