b'Where Are We Now?Early on in the development of the Vision 2020 initiative, thirty-eight indicators were chosen to represent thehealth of Cheshire County. Some were selected because of their direct impact on health, others because theyrepresent tangible measures of community vibrancy and financial well-being. Additional indicators have been added from local data sources to further help inform and monitor the communitysprogress towards becoming the healthiest in the nation. These indicators will continue to be used to motivatechange and will be regularly updated and shared with our community.As of spring 2011, fourteen indicators have shown measurable improvement and when compared to the rest of thecountry, Cheshire County is exceeding the national average in sixteen categories. Thirteen indicators have shown adecline and eleven have remained largely unchanged providing focus for the next phase of Vision 2020 activities."Individual responsibility is a crucial first step, but environmental and policy changes are the most impactful ways toimprove health." - Dr. Gordon Tomaselli, American Heart Association president and professor and director of thedivision of cardiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD in a statement publishedJuly 25, 2011 in the journal CirculationSnapshots and Trends: Health Factors andOutcomes for Cheshire County and New Hampshireand the Nation 2Have you ever thought about. . . ?It Isnt Too Late to Quit We are all aware of the beneficial long-term health effects of quitting smoking. But some benefits kickin right away. About 20 minutes after your last cigarette, your blood pressure, pulse rate and the temperature of your hands andfeet will all return to normal. After 12 hours, your blood oxygen level will have increased to normal and carbon monoxide levelswill have dropped to normal. You are never too old and it is never too late to get help and quit.12'