Developing a Local Public Health System in Maine
Maine suffers from high rates of preventable chronic disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer COPD and diabetes. These four diseases account for three-quarters of Maine deaths. We know that we can extend and improve the quality of lives by impacting three behavioral risk factors that contribute heavily to these chronic problems. Those behavioral or lifestyle issues are tobacco addiction, physical activity and nutrition. Maine is a national leader in tobacco addiction among youth and young adults, and has extremely poor indicators in physical activity and nutrition as well.
Maine public health professionals know that resolving these and other complex lifestyle issues will require community level planning, intervention, collaboration and evaluation. But the state does not currently have a local public health infrastructure, neither county or municipal health departments (outside of Portland). Nor would it be possible, given Maine's limited financial resources (40th nationally in per capita income), to build a government-dominated system. And while Healthy Community Coalitions have been initiated in various areas of the state they have created only pockets of success.
Many of Maine's public health leaders, working through a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded "Turning Point" Project, are planning a community health framework that will build upon existing organizations. This presentation will describe the challenges faced by project participants as well as their public-private plans for resolution.
Learning Objectives: Following this session participants will be better able to: assess the strengths and weeknesses of their own statewide community health system; and, strengthen their community health system through establishing public-private partnerships that enhance complex multi-organizational collaborations
Keywords: Community Planning, Community Collaboration
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Maine Center for Public Health
The Maine Turning Point Project (Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)
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.