Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center are two of the sponsors of a major summit meeting of business, government and nonprofit agencies called Healthy Nashville: Summit '97, to be held Oct. 30.

Organizers say the purpose of the event is to launch a citywide, five-year commitment to improve the health of citizens and the quality of life in Nashville. About 200 business and community leaders are expected to attend.

Five areas are being targeted by the conference: maternal and infant health, violence, tobacco, alcohol and other drugs, and clinical and community prevention services.

"Vanderbilt has a vigorous commitment to the health and well-being of Middle Tennesseans," said Vanderbilt Chancellor Joe B. Wyatt, who is among the honorary chairs of the event. "The Healthy Nashville summit is a collaborative effort that will tackle those issues that most strongly affect the quality of life in our community, paving the way for a stronger and healthier future."

The event is being coordinated by Partners for a Healthy Nashville, a not-for profit partnership of health care, business, government, and community leaders. Co-chairs for the event are Ronnie Steine, executive director of Oasis Center Inc. and a member of the Metro Council, and Dr. Stephanie Bailey, director of health for Metropolitan Davidson County.

"This is more than a think tank and a jam session," Steine said. "When we walk away at the end of this event, we will leave with specific pledges from people, organizations and businesses which have the influence, the resources and the commitment to make meaningful changes in the overall health of the community."

"Healthy Nashville is an inaugural event to kick off a series of activities for the next five years which will focus on improving the health status of our community," Bailey said. "Community leaders as part of the Healthy Nashville 2000+ Leadership Team identified key areas of concern and took on the enormous task of designing specific action steps which will be sponsored and/or implemented by the businesses and organizations represented at the Healthy Nashville Summit."

Honorary chairs of the event are the past, current and future chairs of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, Joe B. Wyatt, Dewitt Ezell and Samuel H. Howard.

Joining Vanderbilt University and VUMC as sponsors of the event are Baptist Hospital, Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corporation, Saint Thomas Health Services and the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County.