A healthy community is one that includes those elements that enable people to maintain a high quality of life and productivity. (Healthy People 2010)  All aspects of health are combined to create a continuum, a full circle, a system of health.  This system includes emphasis on wellness as well as on prevention strategies, acute, chronic, and palliative or end-of-life care. 

When a community decides to sustain themselves as a “healthy” community, all components are assessed and criteria is developed to enable the community to truly become one that is “healthy.”