San Antonio Shines with Public Health Recognition!
San Antonio is buzzing with excitement this December, as the city clinches a gold medal in the latest CityHealth assessment! This recognition is part of a nationwide initiative by the de Beaumont Foundation and Kaiser Permanente that evaluates public health policies across 75 major U.S. cities. With only seven cities taking home the prestigious gold, San Antonio stands out as the only Texas city to achieve this honor overall!
The Gold Standard
What does earning a gold medal really mean? Well, to put it simply, it indicates that San Antonio has met a high standard of public health policy performance by scoring five or more gold medals across specific categories. The city has impressed the evaluators with policies that focus on vital, community-centered factors such as access to healthy food, green spaces, and fair housing.
The good folks at CityHealth have been working side by side with San Antonio since 2020, primarily on the city’s Complete Streets ordinance. After extensive community input and expert guidance, the ordinance was updated this year, ensuring it is both equitable and sustainable. This remarkable achievement nudged the city to snag an individual gold medal in this area.
Community Voices Matter
Interestingly, one of the top concerns voiced by residents was the addition of more bike lanes. It goes to show that San Antonio’s administration is tuned in to what the community really wants, making strides in promoting healthier commuting options.
A Mixed Bag of Medals
On the flip side, San Antonio did not earn medals in five categories, suggesting there are areas where policies either don’t exist or aren’t yet meeting the required criteria. For a quick city comparison, Fort Worth, Dallas, and Houston each picked up overall bronze medals, while Austin didn’t secure any overall medal at all—although it did grab a gold for its greening efforts.
Consistency is Key
This is now the second straight year that San Antonio has earned an overall gold medal. Just last year, the city was overcome with joy as it transitioned from a previous bronze status. In 2022, only two cities managed to snag overall gold medals. It’s important to recognize the trend of improvement here!
Looking Beyond San Antonio
What other cities joined San Antonio on the honor roll this year? Notable overall gold medal winners include Boston, Denver, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Portland, and St. Louis. With so many gold medal cities, there’s inspiration to be drawn from each other in the pursuit of better public health policies!
Unclaimed Wages? You May Be Owed!
As December rolls on, it seems fortune may also be smiling on some workers in Texas. The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced that nearly 15,000 Texans are owed a whopping $11 million in unclaimed wages! If you think you might be one of them, the Department of Labor has rolled out a shiny new online tool called Workers Owed Wages, or WOW for short, to help you find out if you’re in line for some financial relief.
The process is straightforward and available in both English and Spanish, making it accessible for a wider range of workers. Users are encouraged to check the database before the year welcomes a new start.
Claiming What’s Yours
The deal is, if companies haven’t paid their workers correctly and the Department of Labor steps in, they’ll track down owed wages and send a check to the employee’s last known address. But if the employee has moved and isn’t reachable, the money is returned to the Department to sit in limbo. If unclaimed after three years, it eventually makes its way to the U.S. Treasury.
As Rogelio A. Colón, a community outreach and planning specialist, emphasizes, this unclaimed money represents many workers, primarily in industries like construction and food, who truly need these funds to make ends meet. A little pocket change can go a long way for those who are struggling!
So, whether you’re exploring exciting health developments in San Antonio or checking out the potential for unclaimed wages, December is looking promising in the Alamo City!
