260716 Advancing Health Equity - Outcomes Reported From a Community-Based Health Equity Project in Connecticut

Monday, October 29, 2012 : 4:30 PM - 4:50 PM

Sharon Mierzwa, MPH RD , Health Equity Alliance project, Connecticut Association of Directors of Health, Hartford, CT
Russell S. Melmed, MPH , Communicable Disease Prevention, Ledge Light Health District, New London, CT
Ten local public health agencies used an innovative web-based tool called the Health Equity Index to access specific localized data about their towns and neighborhoods. The Index data provided an analysis of health disparities and the quality of life or conditions in their communities, and allowed comparison between neighborhoods, towns, and a state reference point. The profile of community conditions included measures of housing, education, employment, environmental quality, safety, economic security, and civic engagement, in relation to health outcomes. Three sites worked intensively with the tool and implemented a workforce development training component for health department staff, focusing on the social determinants of health and use of the Index. The Index was used to communicate with community members and leaders to focus efforts on improvement of public health policies and practices. Seventy-nine percent of the project leadership and employees reported that the project approach contributed support towards a collective social justice movement focused on health equity. Fifty-seven percent reported the approach useful to local health department staff in demonstrating the connection between social determinants of health and health outcomes, 43% stated it was useful in working with the general public, and 33% reported utility in working with policy makers. Additional evaluation findings will be shared related to workforce development and communication activities to engage community partners.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines
Public health or related public policy
Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health

Learning Objectives:
1. Differentiate local outcomes reported by local health department employees,leadership, and community members participating in an innovative health equity project focused on improvement in policy and practices, and the outcomes achieved collectively statewide. 2. Describe the contribution of the project in advancing health equity at the local community level.

Keywords: Health Disparities, Evaluation

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: During the last two years I have been heavily involved in testing the ability of the CADH Health Equity Index to advance a health equity movement among residents and municipal leaders of Groton, CT. I have logged over 100 hours of use of the Health Equity Index in applications from workforce development and community engagement, to novel needs assessment development and non-traditional approaches to public health policy evaluation.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.