Portneuf Health Trust has a big vision for the Pocatello-Chubbuck area — to have it become known as the healthiest community in the country.

With this goal in mind, the health cooperative officially launched on Friday its Healthy City, USA, initiative that seeks to associate the area with health by spreading health consciousness, organizing health focused events locally and promoting local nature to inspire more participation in outdoor activities.

Healthy City, USA, is a long-term initiative that plans to cultivate over time an association between the Pocatello-Chubbuck area and health.

Shaun Menchaca, president and CEO of Portneuf Health Trust, said during a news conference announcing the initiative on Friday that the idea came about in part in response to some of the COVID-19 pandemic’s lingering effects on people’s mental and physical health, both locally and across the globe.

Menchaca said he sees Healthy City, USA, as a way to motivate people to begin or continue recovering from what has been a difficult time for most.

“I think the last couple of years have been hard on all of us. I don’t know anybody that has not been affected in a bit of a negative way by the pandemic,” he said. “So, when people hear about this initiative, I hope they say, ‘Heck yeah,’ and think, ‘Hey. Maybe this is a time that I should be healthier.’ That kind of momentum creates more momentum, and that’s what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Healthy City, USA, is going to materialize in the form of health focused community events, prizes for health-conscious businesses, and mental and physical exercise challenges, such as the Gratitude Attitude journal, and the Portneuf Peaks Club that Portneuf Health Trust plans to start.

The Gratitude Attitude journal will be a place on the Healthy City, USA, Facebook page where community members can share what they’re grateful for as part of the initiative’s first area of focus in observation of National Mental Health Awareness Month in May.

The Portneuf Peaks Club, a concept the Health Trust hopes to introduce this summer, will motivate people to hike to the peaks of local mountains.

While mental health awareness is the initiative’s kick-off area of focus a different area of health will be the focus each month with the goal of encouraging healthy living habits and offering opportunities for the community to access health education and health-driven activities.

Menchaca acknowledged that working to make Pocatello-Chubbuck known as “Healthy City, USA” is an ambitious undertaking, but he’s hopeful that people will get behind the message and objective of creating a healthier community.

“Part of the work will be building this into the DNA. If you think about how you hardwire something into people’s habits, that takes a bit of time,” he said. “So, we’ll be sharing that inventory of health that we already have and creating new benefits by really working on communicating, coalescing and collaborating with the community to create that identity.”

Portneuf Health Trust partnered with the Idaho State Journal and KPVI on this initiative. Micaela Knickerbocker, community wellness coordinator at Portneuf Health Trust, said Healthy City, USA, events and messages will be shared with the community regularly now that it’s been made public.

“Healthy City, USA, strives to be a healthy, whole-self community. Pocatello-Chubbuck has great potential to be the healthiest city in America, and that’s what we’re shooting for,” Knickerbocker said. “We’re excited to launch Healthy City, USA. There’s much more to come, much more.”