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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Laura M. McDaniel, BA¹, Stacy A. Maines, BA¹, Elizabeth D. Tagle, BA¹, Angela Alaniz, BA², and Monica L. Wendel, MA, MPH². (1) School of Rural Public Health, Texas A&M University, 1266 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843, 979-845-6953, lmmcdaniel@srph.tamhsc.edu, (2) Center for Community Health Development, School of Rural Public Health, 1266 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-1266

In 2002, the Center for Community Health Development at the Texas A&M School of Rural Public Health, with local health care organizations, funded and conducted a population health status assessment of the Brazos Valley region in Texas. The Brazos Valley Health Partnership (BVHP), consisting of local health and social service organizations, was established following the assessment. In response to assessment results, the partnership's strategy was to develop health resource centers (HRC) in the rural counties, a project that was awarded $2.1 million from the Health Resources and Services Administration in 2003.

BVHP has learned valuable lessons related to customizing a community health development process that mobilizes local leadership and creates community ownership of local solutions, both of which increase the likelihood of long-term sustainability. The HRC development process consisted of a community assessment, meeting with identified community champions, hosting an informational community-wide meeting, an HRC advisory board organizational meeting, and then a series of planning, implementation and evaluation meetings. Five HRCs now operate in four counties. While each advisory board's initial focus is the development of an HRC, each board then expands its scope to address additional community health care issues through subsequent strategic planning and development. BVHP continues to support local activities through regional planning efforts, direct technical assistance and evaluation activities, in which the local advisory boards participate. The process utilized by the BVHP has resulted in local ownership and support of the initiatives and activities, which has ensured sustainability of these new services for the local communities.

Learning Objectives: