Using MAPP to conduct a county community assessment: An academic community partnership

The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the collaboration of a graduate community health nursing class and a rural county to conduct a community assessment using the MAPP model. The Commissioner of a rural county health department asked community health nursing faculty to conduct the community health assessment required by New York State. The invitation was seen as both an opportunity to assist the local health department and as a reality based educational experience for community health graduate students, which would allow them to assess, diagnose, plan, intervene and evaluate their program in a rural county using the MAPP model. The project was conducted over a calendar year.

Data was gathered via a life satisfaction questionnaire by students and faculty at several of the county's summer and fall events from county residents. Community partners were asked to participate and to give input regarding the MAPP project. Students were assigned to townships through out the county. Students were asked to collect the MAPP data for each of their assigned townships on community health status assessment, factors of change assessment, and community themes and strengths assessment, while faculty collected the local public health system assessment data.

Currently students are planning, implementing and evaluating their programs to meet the health needs of the identified townships. These interventions must be approved by the identified communities via presentations to focus groups prior to implementation. Students will also complete program evaluations on each of their programs.

MAPP has proven to be an excellent model to guide the county health assessment as well as an excellent method to teach a reality based community assessment process. Examples of the program from assessment thru evaluation will be discussed during the presentation.