Current Initiatives

Improving health throughout Yellowstone County

Healthy By Design (HBD) was created with one all-encompassing goal in mind — improve the health of our community. Our vision is a vibrant Yellowstone County where the healthy choice is the easy choice. Since HBD was founded in 2006, our work has prioritized addressing the following community health needs: nutrition, physical activity, and weight status; mental health; and access to healthcare. We focused on this through initiatives like the 5-2-1-0 campaign, working with partners to pass a complete streets policy in Billings, creative placemaking in the South Side neighborhood, raising awareness of Adverse Childhood Experiences and trauma-informed care, and increasing access to healthcare. You can learn about these and more in our Success Stories. Recently, our strategies have become more overarching to continue improving this area of health while also addressing other priorities arising from our most recent Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) data.

Cross-cutting strategies for complex needs

Our current priorities are addressing mental health, substance abuse, and nutrition, physical activity, and weight. Partners across Yellowstone County have come together to develop cross cutting strategies to address these health needs and improve the quality of life for all community members. Through healthy neighborhoods, healthy connections, healthy investments, and strengthening partnerships, we aim to increase the number of residents experiencing good or better overall health. Our current initiatives combine CHNA data, proven strategies, and locally tailored solutions to improve health across all three priorities to truly create a culture of health in our community.

Current Initiatives

Healthy Neighborhoods

Neighborhoods are the fabric of our community. Learn how we’re partnering with neighborhood residents to help them create their own unique healthy neighborhood plans.

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Healthy Connections

Social isolation can contribute to poor physical and mental health outcomes. Learn how we’re working to increase healthy connections so residents have the social and emotional support they need.

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Healthy Investments

Community livability is tied to access to daily needs. Learn how this group is working to enhance local capacity to respond to this demand through investments that directly impact the health of area residents.

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Strengthening Partnerships

Yellowstone County is facing health challenges too large for one organization to tackle independently. Learn how we’re working to increase the collective ability to create a healthier, more vibrant community.

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Gardeners' Market

Healthy food access is central to neighborhood health. While we work towards a year-round solution, learn about our seasonal market, currently in its 11th season in Billings’ South Side neighborhood.

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Recent Newsletters

Read about our current initiatives in our recent newsletters:

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