Summary of the Healthy Communities Critical Issues Session
Chicago: Regions V and VII
November 5, 1998
Moderator:
Deb Bohr
Vice President, Health Research and Educational Trust Coalition for Healthier
Cities and Communities
Panelists:
Ellen B. Ceppetelli, MS, RNC
Curriculum Developer for Health Professionals, The University of Vermont
Carl Ellison
Vice President, Community Affairs, Memorial Hospital
Mary Beth Hardy
Director of Healthier Communities, Good Samaritan Hospital
The speakers discussed Healthy People 2010 as it relates to Healthy Communities from three different perspectives: organizational, state and local, and public/private partnerships. To set the context, the moderator defined health improvement as the need to involve a broad range of participants in the creation of a plan that defines the community, develops solutions to root causes, engages the community in action, and acknowledges different roles and responsibilities of different sectors. The moderator also outlined that an ideal Healthy Communities project engages the whole community not just isolated sectors, it uses a regional and neighborhood approach, and moves beyond quick fixes by initiating systematic change.
At the organizational level, building relationships is key for success of Healthy People 2010 goals. Health improvement hinges on changing people’s behaviors, and the right relationships have to be in place in order to do that. Consensus building can generate action. The implementation process can improve the community as a whole and not just health status. Indicators should measure more than health status. They should reflect quality of life issues.
At the state and local level, the speaker stressed a multi-sectoral approach to systematic problems. Healthy People 2000 was the framework upon which states based their own Healthy People plans. The health indicators are defined at the state level and characterize quality of life on a local level. States need to assess what’s available in terms of access, resources, data, utilization of data, and demonstrating progress by meeting set targets. The environment, including the social and political sectors, shapes health priorities and values.
At the level of public/private partnerships, all Healthy Communities initiatives contain four key elements: process, players, product, and measurement goals. To be successful, the Healthy Communities process needs a strong commitment to partnership and appropriate funding, grassroots involvement to unite many diverse stakeholders, a clear goal and ways to measure its success.