For many years, numerous agencies with well-intentioned members committed themselves to improving the health of Chester County residents – sometimes working at cross-purposes.
Three years ago, the Chester County Health Department embarked on an ambitious initiative to identify needs and resources through collaborative partnerships. Following hundreds of hours of planning time and a model from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Association of County and City Health Officials, county officials unveiled a Community Health Improvement Plan on Friday, Dec. 5.
The plan, part of the county’s RoadMAPP to Health initiative, was presented to about 100 county workers, community and business leaders. It was based on input from Chester County’s RoadMAPP community survey, conducted to identify the health challenges facing the county, as well as input from dozens of organizations.
“All of us in this room know that Chester County is a great place to live,” Commissioner Kathi Cozzone told the group. But despite the county’s many health accolades, Cozzone said, “We recognize that we can always make improvements.”
For several years, Chester County has been named the first- or second-healthiest county in the state by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. County officials said they want to continue that record of excellence for the county’s half-million residents.
Commissioner Terence Farrell, who credited the Health Department’s Ashley Orr for spearheading the RoadMAPP project, said five strategic issues were identified and would continue to be county priorities: cultural competence and health disparities, coordinated behavioral and physical health, awareness of community resources, individual health management and disease prevention, and safe and healthy environments.
Orr explained that improving the county’s health goes well beyond disease prevention. It affects housing, transportation, jobs, parks, and air and water quality. “Not everyone has a safe place to live, work and play,” she said, explaining that the RoadMAPP initiative involves partnerships with non-health organizations, such as the county’s Department of Emergency Services and its Planning Commission.
Paul Huberty, a senior vice president at Chester County Hospital, said the county is already making inroads in reducing birth disparities, especially in the African American community. He credited a dramatic increase in prenatal care to a partnership among the hospital, ChesPenn Health Services, and the Brandywine Health Foundation.
Donna Carlson from the county’s Department of Human Services said more valuable research on improving public health has come through the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Established by the Affordable Care Act in 2011, PCORI awarded 25 grants nationwide, one of which went to Chester County.
Carlson said research indicates that 68 percent of U.S. residents with serious mental illness – approximately 10 million people – also have medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, resulting in death 15 to 25 years earlier than the general population. Researchers are working to determine how to serve that vulnerable population in Chester County most effectively, she said.
Joan Holliday, a Kennett-area community activist, cited the example of Activate Chester County, which consists of collaborative groups across the county representing hospitals, health and recreation organizations, school districts, municipalities, and YMCAs. Their goal is to reduce obesity rates in Chester County.
“Activate Chester County has been around for 10 years, but we needed a boost,” she said, adding that small programs don’t work as well as larger ones. “We needed a broader approach.”
Among the assets of a more broad-based program is a clearinghouse for resources, said Barbara Mancill from United Way of Chester County. She said two existing sources of information on health and human services - Refer Web (http://www.referweb.net/chesco/) and United Way’s 2-1-1 phone number – would mirror each other.
Orr said that process of updating and integrating resources has already begun.
"Everything is starting to come together," said Jeanne Casner, who heads the county’s Health Department. "This doesn't stop today. This is another beginning … It’s not going to be a map that lasts five years so we’re going to continually look at it, reassess it, and apply the new data.”
For more information, visit http://webapps.chesco.org/webapps/health/cha/home.html
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