Healthy Community Initiative

By Tom Steinmetz as a Guest Columnist for the Northfield News

I started as Healthy Community Initiative’s new Executive Director one month ago, and it’s been delightful to meet so many people who are dedicated to improving the lives of youth and their families in Northfield and Faribault and across Rice County.

My whole career has been dedicated to supporting the health of children, youth and families through innovative community partnerships. I spent more than 25 years at the Washburn Center for Children, a private nonprofit community health center, where my roles included intern, therapist, program director, chief operating officer, and chief executive officer. As board president for the Minnesota Association of Community Mental Health Programs, I helped form Convergence Integrated Care (CIC), a statewide integrated network of nonprofit community mental health centers based in St. Paul. I served as CIC’s Senior Operations Director from 2022 until accepting the role at HCI.

The common thread through my professional life has been collaborating with diverse groups of people and organizations to improve access to care, advance equity, and improve the well-being of children, youth, and families. I was inspired to take the position at HCI because it’s a perfect fit for what I care about most. I was impressed with HCI’s holistic, comprehensive approach to serving the community, and its dedication to pulling organizations together in a collaborative spirit and with a shared purpose.

I’ve had the opportunity to witness the impact of HCI’s community partnerships every day. During my first week, I visited with the Growing Up Healthy Program Directors and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation grant manager at the Cannon River Community Trailer in Faribault and saw how children are learning important kindergarten readiness skills, and how home visits are supporting parents and families. Visiting the RISE (Realizing Individual Student Excellence) program at Faribault High School, I saw how RISE Coordinators are improving graduation rates and supporting students’ social and emotional well-being.

Everything HCI does is done in deep partnership with participants, the schools, other nonprofits, philanthropic organizations, municipalities, the state of Minnesota, and many others who want to see all children, youth, and families thrive. I am humbled, grateful, and energized to support this work.