approach and sharing of information and resources effectively reduces overlap in services and makes the department’s efforts more efficient and effective. The engagement of local elected and appointed officials has also reinforced the role of Public Health in meeting community needs that would otherwise not be met. The relationship between literacy, health, and economic development, for example, has been of special interest in McIntosh and has attracted the interest of diverse participants who have volunteered to engage in implementation of the CHIP. In addition, the planning process has created a much stronger foundation for strategic planning. Engage the community and create community ownership for Public Health issues. Participation in the assessment, followed by widespread data sharing has had a tremendous influence on community perspectives on health care. County officials and representatives from city governments were provided an overview of findings to help engage them in public health issues, which have not always been considered as matters of local government concern. While different sections of the data were of varying relevance to different audiences, the compilation of economic and social data with health data was eye-opening to interests ranging from teen pregnancy educators to the business community, school system, and elected officials. Discovering, for example, the population most likely to smoke or binge drink or those most often using the emergency room in the neighboring county for primary care provided insights into issues that are community concerns, not just Public Health concerns. The collaborative approach helped achieve buy-in from community stakeholders willing to partner with Public Health to address these issues. The Process The First Phase: Community Health Needs Assessment The Community Health Needs Assessment (See results of Community Health Needs Assessment), conducted between September 1 and October 31, 2013, was composed of four pillars: The use of public data including demographic, economic, community resources, and health data to provide a standard of comparison for local survey data. Resources included Centers for Disease Control, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Georgia’s On-Line Statistical Information System (OASIS), data from Coastal Health District, the U.S. Census, the Bureau of Labor, University of Wisconsin County Health Rankings, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Department of Highway Safety, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and numerous other public resources;
approach and sharing of information and resources effectively reduces overlap in services and makes the department’s efforts more efficient and effective. The engagement of local elected and appointed officials has also reinforced the role of Public Health in meeting community needs that would otherwise not be met. The relationship between literacy, health, and economic development, for example, has been of special interest in McIntosh and has attracted the interest of diverse participants who have volunteered to engage in implementation of the CHIP. In addition, the planning process has created a much stronger foundation for strategic planning. Engage the community and create community ownership for Public Health issues. Participation in the assessment, followed by widespread data sharing has had a tremendous influence on community perspectives on health care. County officials and representatives from city governments were provided an overview of findings to help engage them in public health issues, which have not always been considered as matters of local government concern. While different sections of the data were of varying relevance to different audiences, the compilation of economic and social data with health data was eye-opening to interests ranging from teen pregnancy educators to the business community, school system, and elected officials. Discovering, for example, the population most likely to smoke or binge drink or those most often using the emergency room in the neighboring county for primary care provided insights into issues that are community concerns, not just Public Health concerns. The collaborative approach helped achieve buy-in from community stakeholders willing to partner with Public Health to address these issues. The Process The First Phase: Community Health Needs Assessment The Community Health Needs Assessment (See results of Community Health Needs Assessment), conducted between September 1 and October 31, 2013, was composed of four pillars: The use of public data including demographic, economic, community resources, and health data to provide a standard of comparison for local survey data. Resources included Centers for Disease Control, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Georgia’s On-Line Statistical Information System (OASIS), data from Coastal Health District, the U.S. Census, the Bureau of Labor, University of Wisconsin County Health Rankings, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Department of Highway Safety, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and numerous other public resources;