 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Patricia Gail Bray, PhD, Karen J Williams, PhD, Jane Peranteau, PhD, and Ilana Reisz, MA. Community Health Assessment, St. Luke's Episcopal Health Charities, 6221 Main Street, Houston, TX 77030, 713-807-0752, pbray@sleh.com
In 1948 the World Health Organization (WHO) Constitution was signed, creating an international organ of the United Nations in matters of health. This historic document defined health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” The traditional emphasis on the physical aspect of health is understandable, since the elusive term, “health,” has been defined historically only as the absence of disease. Today, operationalizing an expanded definition of health remains a challenge, with few successful models to emulate. This paper will present an innovative approach to that task. Six years ago, when a Texas public health charity was formed with the credo, Advancing community health: body, mind and spirit, it made a philosophical commitment to embrace the meaning of health as envisioned by the WHO. We decided to focus on the multiple dimensions of health and not just the absence of disease. Using the Evans and Stoddart model of population health, we developed an inclusive method for community health assessment. With this broad model that includes social, economic, biological and political determinants of health, we designed an infrastructure for assessment, charitable giving and program evaluation that depended upon the measurement of health status indicators in each of the categories of the determinants. The basis of our infrastructure is a web-based, comprehensive Community Health Information System, to track changes in health status at the neighborhood level. Using an expanded definition of health increases opportunities for success in which others might benefit.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Community Health Assessment, Health Information Systems
Related Web page: www.slehc.org
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: St. Luke's Episcopal Health Charities
The University of Texas School of Public Health
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Employee of St. Lukes and Grant maker to UTSPH