Programs & Services
Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds
Beyond healthcare: the key to health starts in our community.
Beyond healthcare: the key to health starts in our community.
Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds invites you to
a community film screening,
followed by reception & resource fair
Sun Jun 1 | 4:00 PM to 6:15 PM
United Theatre, 5 Canal St, Westerly, RI
Light refreshments will be served
As part of our ongoing efforts to address health equity, this event offers a powerful exploration of friendship, identity, and belonging within the LGBTQ+ community, highlighting how structural and social determinants impact well-being. We invite the community to reflect on the power of allyship, the role of privilege, and the challenges LGBTQ+ individuals face in accessing safety, healthcare, and inclusion.
Following the screening, a reception and resource fair will provide opportunities for connection, discussion, and action to advance health equity and support LGBTQ+ individuals in our community.
Please register by May 30th
Head Start is facing the possibility of elimination in the 2026 Federal budget.
Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds (HBHM) is Washington County’s Health Equity Zone, one of 14 Health Equity Zones (HEZs) in Rhode Island created in 2015 by the Rhode Island Department of Health to remove obstacles to improve community health and well-being.
Health isn’t only about good medical care - it’s shaped by where we live, work, and play. Factors like housing, transportation, education, and access to essential services all impact our health.
At HBHM, we bring together residents, community organizations, and policymakers to strengthen collaboration and develop community-driven solutions that address these challenges and improve quality of life in Washington County.
Our Mission
Advance the health and well-being of Washington County residents through collective community action to address disparities.
Our Vision
A Washington County, where there is equitable access to everyone to ensure all have the opportunity for a healthy life.
What Shapes Our Health?
Good health isn’t just about going to the doctor, it’s about having a safe place to live, reliable transportation, quality education, and access to resources that support our well-being.
These non-medical factors, called social determinants of health (SDoH), are interconnected and play a major role in shaping our health.
While we work across many areas, our priorities are guided by the community itself. Through community needs assessments and resident input, we’ve identified the biggest barriers to health in Washington County and are currently focused on:
Behavioral Health | Transportation | Housing
Our Community & How We Work Together
HBHM is a team effort, and our success depends on the partnerships we build. Rooted in a collective impact approach, our work extends beyond any single organization or sector to bring together residents, organizations, and local government to strengthen partnerships and drive long-term solutions that transform community health.
Our Work Groups lead the efforts behind our core initiatives by:
- Assessing community needs through data and resident input and experiences to identify key health challenges and set priorities
- Working together to develop and implement action plans that drive impactful projects, programs, and policies that strengthen our community and improve long-term health outcomes
Our Steering Committee includes multi-sector leaders who provide strategic oversight, guidance, and support to ensure HBHM’s efforts reflect community needs. Our Program Manager oversees and facilitates HBHM projects, initiatives, work plans, budgets, and grant deliverables. HBHM is anchored at Wood River Health, which serves as our backbone agency, and provides operational support, coordination, and expertise to keep initiatives moving forward.
As a community-driven organization, we always welcome your input and involvement! Have ideas or want to get involved? Feel free to connect with us by email Kristen.Frady@WoodRiverHealth.org or through Facebook