We're Everywhere in Your Neighborhood
Steps to a Healthier Rockland County offers a wide range of programs all designed with one thing in mind--your health. Whether it's help quitting smoking, making your business a healthier place to work or exploring Rockland's park system with your family, Steps can help.
Please explore this section to learn about each of the programs we offer. They're all fun, free and really good for you. So get out, get involved and get healthy!
Please explore this section to learn about each of the programs we offer. They're all fun, free and really good for you. So get out, get involved and get healthy!

Featured Program: Young Lungs at Play
Young Lungs at Play is designed to eliminate cigarette smoking at outdoor play areas in Rockland County. This Program protects kids by limiting their exposure to secondhand smoke and the discarded cigarette butts found at all outdoor play areas.
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DIABETES PROGRAM:
Our Diabetes program offers professional opportunities for health care providers and a series of educational materials and opportunities for persons living with diabetes or pre-diabetes. We provide community members as well as health care professionals with a printed “Rockland County Diabetes Resource Guide” containing information for not only those who have Diabetes but for those who may be at risk as well.
YOUNG LUNGS AT PLAY!:
Our Young Lungs at Play! Initiative is designed to eliminate cigarette smoking at outdoor play areas in Rockland County. Secondhand smoke is dangerous to all people and children are especially vulnerable. As part of Steps to a Healthier Rockland, the Young Lungs at Play program has been created to protect kids by limiting their exposure to secondhand smoke and the discarded cigarette butts found at all outdoor play areas.
RESTAURANT PROGRAM:
Our Healthier Dining Restaurant Program is intended to empower consumers to make healthier food selections when dining out at local restaurants. Currently there are nearly 90 local restaurants participating in the program, highlighting over 950 healthier menu items. Rockland County restaurants have plenty of healthier options available; just ask the wait staff to help you make a healthier choice. Look for the door decal and menu designations, which denote member restaurants.
ASTHMA PROGRAMS:
Our Steps to Better Breathing asthma home care program was built upon evidence-based best practices in childhood asthma management. The purpose of the program is to educate children and their families to better manage their asthma symptoms to reduce the frequency of asthma attacks, school absenteeism, emergency room visits and hospitalizations. This program is offered to families through Medicaid Managed Care Plans.
Our Could It Be Asthma social marketing program raises parent and caregiver awareness about the symptoms of asthma to promote the diagnosis and management of asthma in children. The resulting campaign materials highlighted chronic cough as a common symptom of asthma. This program reaches out to local pediatricians, pharmacies, libraries, emergency rooms and school nurses to help save children from the complications of asthma.
RC WALKS:
Our RC Walks program consists of several walking opportunities including guided walks at local parks, RC Walks Trail Tracker, mall-walking programs, and an 8-week pedometer walking challenge, all aimed at getting Rockland residents to move more. People taking part in these walking programs receive FREE prizes for participating. To maintain optimal health, strive for 30 minutes or 4,224 steps a day at least five days a week.
STEPS CORNER STORES:
Our Steps Corner Store program helps food stores in Rockland promote healthier food items such as vegetables and fruits, lower fat dairy products, and whole-grain products. This initiative not only educates consumers about healthier food choices, but also empowers consumers to ask for healthier items if they don’t see them when they are shopping.
WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAMS:
Our Lose to Win Weight Loss Program, conducted through Nyack Hospital, is an 8-week program that includes information on nutrition, exercise, and changing behavior to help with weight loss. The goal of this program is to teach overweight adults how to lose weight safely, make healthy food choices, and exercise correctly. Each 90- minute session allows for discussion of participant’s motives, obstacles and successes at weight loss.
PUT IT OUT ROCKLAND:
Our Put It Out Rockland program is a county run, FREE smoking cessation program. Offered through one-on-one counseling or at an 8-week quit smoking program, participants will learn how to control your urges to smoke and learn new skills for dealing with stress. Products to take the place of Nicotine – such as the patch, gum, and lozenge are offered, at NO cost, to people who meet medical criteria.
STEPS TO HEALTHY SCHOOLS HEALTHY LIFESTYLES:
Our Steps to Healthy Schools, Healthy Lifestyles program assists local schools in increasing access to physical activity and better nutrition for their students and staff. School districts throughout Rockland County have formed School Health Advisory Councils to better respond to health issues in a coordinated way. Schools at all levels complete the School Health Index to identify gaps in service and make necessary improvements to school health programs and policies. In partnership with the Rockland Teachers’ Center Institute, teachers grades K-12 learn to use physical activity to teach academic subjects. Through this professional development course, Learning in Motion, teachers employ best practices to increase movement and improve student learning.
HEALTHIER WORKSITES, HEALTHIER WORKERS:
Our Steps to Healthier Worksites, Healthier Workers program assists Rockland worksite to improve employee health and wellness. This is accomplished by offering technical support to improve policies and the environment of the workplace that support healthier lifestyles. By looking at available food choices, access to physical activity, and smoking policies, this can lead to increased productivity, less absenteeism, and better employee health.
Young Lungs at Play is designed to eliminate cigarette smoking at outdoor play areas in Rockland County. This Program protects kids by limiting their exposure to secondhand smoke and the discarded cigarette butts found at all outdoor play areas.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DIABETES PROGRAM:
Our Diabetes program offers professional opportunities for health care providers and a series of educational materials and opportunities for persons living with diabetes or pre-diabetes. We provide community members as well as health care professionals with a printed “Rockland County Diabetes Resource Guide” containing information for not only those who have Diabetes but for those who may be at risk as well.
YOUNG LUNGS AT PLAY!:
Our Young Lungs at Play! Initiative is designed to eliminate cigarette smoking at outdoor play areas in Rockland County. Secondhand smoke is dangerous to all people and children are especially vulnerable. As part of Steps to a Healthier Rockland, the Young Lungs at Play program has been created to protect kids by limiting their exposure to secondhand smoke and the discarded cigarette butts found at all outdoor play areas.
RESTAURANT PROGRAM:
Our Healthier Dining Restaurant Program is intended to empower consumers to make healthier food selections when dining out at local restaurants. Currently there are nearly 90 local restaurants participating in the program, highlighting over 950 healthier menu items. Rockland County restaurants have plenty of healthier options available; just ask the wait staff to help you make a healthier choice. Look for the door decal and menu designations, which denote member restaurants.
ASTHMA PROGRAMS:
Our Steps to Better Breathing asthma home care program was built upon evidence-based best practices in childhood asthma management. The purpose of the program is to educate children and their families to better manage their asthma symptoms to reduce the frequency of asthma attacks, school absenteeism, emergency room visits and hospitalizations. This program is offered to families through Medicaid Managed Care Plans.
Our Could It Be Asthma social marketing program raises parent and caregiver awareness about the symptoms of asthma to promote the diagnosis and management of asthma in children. The resulting campaign materials highlighted chronic cough as a common symptom of asthma. This program reaches out to local pediatricians, pharmacies, libraries, emergency rooms and school nurses to help save children from the complications of asthma.
RC WALKS:
Our RC Walks program consists of several walking opportunities including guided walks at local parks, RC Walks Trail Tracker, mall-walking programs, and an 8-week pedometer walking challenge, all aimed at getting Rockland residents to move more. People taking part in these walking programs receive FREE prizes for participating. To maintain optimal health, strive for 30 minutes or 4,224 steps a day at least five days a week.
STEPS CORNER STORES:
Our Steps Corner Store program helps food stores in Rockland promote healthier food items such as vegetables and fruits, lower fat dairy products, and whole-grain products. This initiative not only educates consumers about healthier food choices, but also empowers consumers to ask for healthier items if they don’t see them when they are shopping.
WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAMS:
Our Lose to Win Weight Loss Program, conducted through Nyack Hospital, is an 8-week program that includes information on nutrition, exercise, and changing behavior to help with weight loss. The goal of this program is to teach overweight adults how to lose weight safely, make healthy food choices, and exercise correctly. Each 90- minute session allows for discussion of participant’s motives, obstacles and successes at weight loss.
PUT IT OUT ROCKLAND:
Our Put It Out Rockland program is a county run, FREE smoking cessation program. Offered through one-on-one counseling or at an 8-week quit smoking program, participants will learn how to control your urges to smoke and learn new skills for dealing with stress. Products to take the place of Nicotine – such as the patch, gum, and lozenge are offered, at NO cost, to people who meet medical criteria.
STEPS TO HEALTHY SCHOOLS HEALTHY LIFESTYLES:
Our Steps to Healthy Schools, Healthy Lifestyles program assists local schools in increasing access to physical activity and better nutrition for their students and staff. School districts throughout Rockland County have formed School Health Advisory Councils to better respond to health issues in a coordinated way. Schools at all levels complete the School Health Index to identify gaps in service and make necessary improvements to school health programs and policies. In partnership with the Rockland Teachers’ Center Institute, teachers grades K-12 learn to use physical activity to teach academic subjects. Through this professional development course, Learning in Motion, teachers employ best practices to increase movement and improve student learning.
HEALTHIER WORKSITES, HEALTHIER WORKERS:
Our Steps to Healthier Worksites, Healthier Workers program assists Rockland worksite to improve employee health and wellness. This is accomplished by offering technical support to improve policies and the environment of the workplace that support healthier lifestyles. By looking at available food choices, access to physical activity, and smoking policies, this can lead to increased productivity, less absenteeism, and better employee health.
