Background: Turning Point (TP), a program funded by the W.K. Kellogg and Robert Wood Johnson foundations, seeks to transform and strengthen the public health infrastructure in the United States so that states, tribes, local communities and their public health agencies may respond to the challenge to protect and improve the public’s health in the 21st century.
Method: For over two years twenty-one states and forty-one communities have been engaged in a collaborative planning effort aimed at improving the current public health system to enable it to better serve the community and its citizens. . Forty-one broad-based public health partnerships adopted a system rather than a program approach in developing their community health system improvement plan. Findings from the analysis of this forty-one-community TP initiative will be evaluated against current, identifiable public health challenges.
Results: Forty community plans were received. Preliminary review shows: all plans seek to actively involve the community in the decision-making process; over 75% are developing initiatives to identify the root causes of public health problems; over 70% involve enhanced community assessment efforts; most plans focus on addressing issues associated with the socioeconomic determinants of health. All partnership representation consists of traditional as well as non-traditional public health representatives from both public and private sector.
Public Health Implications: Information gained from analysis of the Turning Point initiative will enhance community health planning efforts nationally and help guide health policy development by ensuring resulting intervention policies and programs are directed at "root causes" operating within communities.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this sessoion, participants will understand the difference between and interrelationship of, reported statistical health status (indices) and identified community health needs. They will see different community's approach in defining and identifying their "community specific" health needs and different approaches in obtaining "community engagement" in the process of addressing community health needs
Keywords: Challenges and Opportunities, Coalition
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.