Boston and Denver Rise to Top, Earning Overall Gold Medals
WASHINGTON, D.C. — DECEMBER 20, 2022 — Expanding its partnership with America’s largest cities to help implement policies that can improve residents’ access to healthy choices, CityHealth, an initiative of the de Beaumont Foundation and Kaiser Permanente, released today its first annual ranking of the largest 75 cities with its revised 12-policy package. This year, 37 cities were awarded with overall medals, including Boston and Denver, which earned overall gold medals. Nearly 39 million people live in a city that has earned an overall medal.
“We congratulate and celebrate cities that are taking bold action to adopt policy solutions that can expand healthy choices available to all residents,” said CityHealth Co-Executive Director Katrina Forrest, JD. “Local policies that address the key social determinants of health can have a tremendous impact on people’s lives. By raising the bar and working with more cities to adopt innovative, evidence-informed policies that address the social determinants of health, CityHealth has the potential to multiply its impact and improve the health of millions of people living in America’s largest cities.”
This year, two exemplary cities — Boston and Denver — rise to the top by earning overall gold medals. These two cities qualified for overall gold by earning at least five gold medals in individual policy areas; Boston earned six golds and Denver earned five golds. (See the full overall medal list below.)
CityHealth annually awards the nation’s largest cities with gold, silver, bronze, or no medal in different policy areas that can improve people’s access to healthy choices and address critical health disparities in local communities. Between 2017 and 2021, CityHealth assessed America’s 40 largest cities on a nine-policy package with a strong record of success: nearly 93% of cities earned overall medals, and 10 exemplary cities earned an overall gold.
In 2022, CityHealth updated its policy package to make sure that its work continues to resonate with cities and is aligned with the latest evidence, can promote health and racial equity, and has bipartisan appeal with a record of successful adoption in at least one city. This updated 12-policy package was developed in consultation with local leaders, public health experts, researchers, and members of the business community. The initiative also expanded the number of cities it works with from the largest 40 to the largest 75, based on population.
“City leaders and local policymakers play a critically important role in creating opportunities for their residents to live healthy, full lives,” said CityHealth Co-Executive Director Catherine Patterson, MPP. “Across the country, we’re seeing countless examples of cities stepping up and becoming leaders in the movement for better health. CityHealth’s new policy package presents an opportunity for cities to achieve their next gold medal and expand the adoption of healthy policies that are timely, focused on health equity, and can help cities address critical health disparities — today, and for decades down the road.”
In 2022, America’s 75 largest cities earned 370 individual policy medals across all 12 policies, including 126 gold medals, 102 silver medals and 142 bronze medals. Complete results can be found at www.cityhealth.org.
“At the core of CityHealth’s mission is a drive to equip local leaders with healthy policy options that allow them to meet the unique needs of their communities,” said Brian C. Castrucci, DrPH, MA, President and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation. “The success of CityHealth’s first five years showed us that local leaders embrace the flexibility and local control built into the policy package. With this new assessment, CityHealth is building on its track record of being true partners to cities by working with local leaders to improve health outcomes for everyone.”
“Every person, in every city, deserves to live the healthiest possible life,” said Bechara Choucair, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Health Officer at Kaiser Permanente. “CityHealth policies are practical, effective solutions that city leaders can pursue to improve health outcomes in the communities they serve.”
2022 ANNUAL REPORT KEY FINDINGS
CityHealth, in partnership with the Center for Public Health Law Research at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law and other evaluation partners, rated America’s 75 largest cities on their combined quality and quality of policies in place in each of the 12 policy solutions (listed below) using gold, silver and bronze medals. For complete results, including individual medals by policy area, go to: https://www.cityhealth.org/2022-assessment/.
OVERALL RESULTS
Gold
- Boston
- Denver
Silver
- Atlanta
- Chicago
- Kansas City
- Los Angeles
- Minneapolis
- New Orleans
- Philadelphia
- Portland
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- St. Paul
- Washington, D.C.
Bronze
- Albuquerque
- Baltimore
- Cleveland
- Dallas
- Fort Worth
- Fresno
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Lincoln
- Long Beach
- Louisville
- Milwaukee
- New York
- Newark
- Oakland
- Pittsburgh
- Sacramento
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- Santa Ana
- St. Louis
- Stockton
POLICY AREAS
CityHealth’s tried and tested policies help all people in our nation’s largest cities have access to have a safe place to live, a healthy body and mind, and a thriving environment. Learn more:
- Affordable Housing Trusts
- Complete Streets
- Earned Sick Leave
- Eco-Friendly Purchasing
- Flavored Tobacco Restrictions
- Greenspace
- Healthy Food Purchasing
- Healthy Rental Housing
- High-Quality, Accessible Pre-K
- Legal Support for Renters
- Safer Alcohol Sales
- Smoke-Free Indoor Air
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CityHealth, an initiative of the de Beaumont Foundation and Kaiser Permanente, works to advance a package of proven policy solutions that will help millions of people live longer, better lives in vibrant, prosperous communities. CityHealth regularly evaluates cities on the number and strength of their policies. Find out more at www.cityhealth.org.
The de Beaumont Foundation advances policy, builds partnerships, and strengthens public health to create communities where people can achieve their best possible health. Learn more at www.debeaumont.org.
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.2 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: kp.org/share.
