[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Esther-Dyson-Road-to-Wellville.png” thumb_width=”170″ /]Here’s the challenge set up by tech angel investor (EDventure Holdings), philanthropist and astronaut-in-training Esther Dyson and her team at the interestingly named HICCup (Health Initiative Coordinating Council):  set up five communities of up to 100,000 people to see which one can achieve the greatest improvement in health and vitality over five years. The winner receives an award of up to $5 million. Like a startup, each community sets its own plans, pitches promising health initiatives to funders, negotiates with suppliers and measures impact; HICCup acts like a board of advisors. According to Ms Dyson, “The motivation is not to help these nice people in five cities to have better lives. It’s to prove a business model and to generate evidence and facts.” Some factors might be to start school later so children can have more sleep, or working with supermarkets to stock healthier foods and study shopping/buying patterns. But ‘The Way to Wellville’ starts ASAP; community applications deadline is 23 May and from the probable ten picked in June, a site visit to seven or eight to pick the Final Five . HICCup website, announcement on HICCup blog, Wall Street Journal article (PDF-subscription content), HIT Consultant article by Fard Johnmar of Enspektos/DHPV 2014.

Previously in TTA: an architect’s vision of ‘wellness districts’ in rural areas