Live Well San Diego is a vision for a region that is Building Better Health, Living Safely, and Thriving. It aligns the efforts of individuals, organizations, and government to help all 3.3 million San Diego County residents live well.

Live Well San Diego involves everyone. Only through a collective effort — in which all of us work together toward a shared purpose — can meaningful change be achieved in a region as large and diverse as San Diego County.

Organizations can become Live Well San Diego Recognized Partners by making a formal commitment to support the Live Well San Diego vision. Recognized Partners include health care providers, community and faith-based organizations, businesses, school districts, and other jurisdictions, including cities, tribal governments, and military or veterans organizations.

Individuals can take part in the Live Well San Diego vision by making positive choices, participating in Recognized Partner programs and Live Well San Diego Signature Events, and contributing in unique ways to improve the quality of life for themselves and those around them.

Organizational leaders and community members gather regionally and by sector to identify priority needs, plan community improvements and conduct activities to improve the health, safety, and overall well-being of residents and their communities.

These Sector and Community Leadership Teams serve as a central point for action at the local level.

The Live Well San Diego Indicators measure the collective impact of efforts by Recognized Partners and community stakeholders over the long term. As more residents are able to improve their health, safety, and economic status, there are more opportunities for people to grow, connect and thrive.

Live Well San Diego needs leadership from both organizations and individuals to bring about positive change for the greater good.

Together, we can do more than each of us can do alone.

The Live Well San Diego vision began ten years ago with the goal of improving wellness for all 3.3 million residents living in San Diego County. Developed in 2010, the vision was a response to a startling statistic that found that throughout the nation and locally three behaviors (poor nutrition, lack of physical activity and tobacco use) were contributing to four diseases (heart disease/stroke, cancer, type-2 diabetes and respiratory conditions) that resulted in over 50% of the deaths in the nation (3-4-50: Chronic Disease in San Diego County). In San Diego County, these diseases were responsible for 57% of all deaths in 2007.

Efforts in support of the Live Well San Diego vision have driven a 13% reduction in the number of deaths associated with preventable health threats from 2007 to 2022.

The vision was also launched when public health agencies were beginning to recognize how the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age contribute to a person’s overall wellness and the health of the community (Social Determinants of Health). To address these factors, the vision leverages the diverse resources and backbone support of the County of San Diego and uses the collective impact model which requires that cross-sector organizations come together in support of a common agenda, agree to track progress in the same way, and coordinate efforts to continuously improve programs and initiatives to positively affect quality of life in San Diego County.

The vision includes three components. Building Better Health, adopted on July 13, 2010, focuses on improving the health of residents and supporting healthy choices; Living Safely, adopted on October 9, 2012, focuses on protecting residents from crime and abuse, making neighborhoods safe, and supporting resilient communities; and, Thriving, adopted on October 21, 2014, focuses on cultivating opportunities for all people to grow, connect and enjoy the highest quality of life.

Over the past 10 years, organizations and individuals have shared their knowledge, resources, and ideas to address a broad spectrum of community concerns, from access to health care to crime prevention to improving the natural environment. Over 500 organizations throughout the region have made a formal commitment to the Live Well San Diego vision, so that wherever you live, work, play or pray, an organization or individual is nearby and working to improve your well-being and the health of your community.

As we look toward the future, our focused efforts will continue to serve our communities and help individuals take charge of their health and wellness to create a region that is Building Better Health, Living Safely and Thriving.

Below is a timeline of accomplishments that were made possible by the power of collective impact – the results of working together to accomplish far more than government or any single entity could ever do alone.

In addition to the below timeline, this Leadership for a Networked World article offers a great summary of how the Live Well San Diego vision was developed, implemented, and expanded by the County of San Diego over time.