Agenda - 03-09-1999 - IIB - Laserfiche WebLink

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28 ORANGE COUNTY Board of Commissioners • Action Agenda Item No. _II.B._ Action Agenda Item Abstract Meeting Date: March 9,1999 Subject: Healthy Carolinians of Orange County Department: HEALTH Public Hearing Yes X No Budget Amendment Needed Yes X No Attachments(s): Excerpt from Certification Document Information Contact: Council Membership List Health Director's Office X2411 Committee Membership List Telephone Number Case Illustration from "Medicine and Public Health" Hillsborough - 732 -8181 Chapel Hill - 968 -4501 Mebane - 227 -2031 Durham - 688 -7331 Purpose: To update Board of Health and Board of County Commissioners regarding implementation of Healthy Carolinians of Orange County. • Background: In 1995 the Board of Commissioners appointed an Orange County Healthy Carolinians Task Force at the request of three primary partners in this effort: the Orange County Health Department, the iJNC Hospitals (now UNC Health Care System), and the UNC School of Public Health. There were 60 members on the task force itself and approximately 20 on a Steering Committee. In 1995 and 1996 health data was gathered and analyzed from both primary and secondary sources. Through a community/task force process three priority areas were identified in 1997: Needs of Children, Teen Pregnancy, and Preventive Services. Working groups were established in each of the priority areas to develop objectives and strategies for accomplishing those objectives. During 1997 progress in identifying strategies in each of the working groups was very slow, primarily due to a lack of staff resources. The Teen Pregnancy group realized that while they had a worthy goal, the numbers of individuals affected were very small and the root causes of teen pregnancy were better managed in a more holistic way. Therefore, in early 1998 they recommended to the Steering Committee that their group be merged with the Needs of Children. This was accomplished and by the fall of 1998, each of the working groups had strategies for implementation identified. Each Committee had a major "kick -off' event in 1998, and has their list of strategies they would like to accomplish. Grant funds can be sought for many of the implementation efforts, however the coordination of the groups involved and the evaluation of program accomplishments is more difficult to accomplish without core support for the effort itself. The Steering Committee also realized that the task force of 60 was an unwieldy structure and that it was time to move to a more permanent structure. A Council structure of 30 -35 individuals was developed that represented a cross - section of agencies and citizens in the county. The Health Education Supervisor in the Health Department has been acting as the part -time staff/coordinator of the effort since the late fall of 1997. She prepared a document that was presented to the NC Healthy Carolinians Task Force for "certifying" the Orange County effort. While certification at this time does not bring funds directly with it, many state and foundation grant programs require evidence of multi- agency and community collaboration • to qualify for funds.