Peer-reviewed case study highlights Meritus’s “Go for Bold” initiative

The work is to appear in the March edition of Population Health, Equity & Outcomes.

Three Meritus Health team members recently published a peer-reviewed case study detailing the innovative communitywide “Go for Bold: Lose 1 million pounds” campaign.

“Go for Bold: Improving Outcomes One Pound at a Time” is featured in the March edition of Population Health, Equity & Outcomes. It was compiled by Meritus Anesthesia and Neonatology Program Manager Remi Patel, MHA; Brook Lane Chief Operating Officer Allen Twigg, MBA, LCPC; and Meritus Health President and CEO Maulik Joshi, DrPH.

The study showcases how Meritus and its partners built a scalable, data-driven model to address obesity and related chronic conditions through cross-sector collaboration. The goal of Go for Bold is to help Washington County residents collectively lose 1 million pounds by 2030.

Launched in 2020 in partnership with Healthy Washington County, the initiative brings together employers, schools, nonprofits and civic leaders around three pillars of wellness: physical activity (“Do”), healthy nutrition (“Eat”), and mental well-being (“Believe”). Key collaborators include the Washington County Health Department, the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, Volvo Group Trucks and CoreLife, among more than 55 community partners.

As of the end of February, nearly 8,000 participants have collectively lost more than 214,000 pounds, tracked through a confidential online Weight Tracker that aggregates community progress while supporting individual accountability and team-based engagement.

The study highlights measurable clinical improvements from 2020 to 2024, including a 2.3% increase in Meritus patients achieving a body mass index (BMI) below 27, and a 6.05% increase among endocrinology patients with annual visits, which are important indicators of reduced chronic disease risk.

The study notes that Go for Bold is a replicable framework for rural and mid-sized communities seeking sustainable population health improvement through bold goal setting, strong partnerships and shared accountability.

To learn more about the published case study, visit the journal, published by the American Journal of Managed Care, online at www.AJMC.com.