Online Program

295786
Lessons Learned from LiveWell Lancaster County


Tuesday, November 5, 2013 : 3:30 p.m. - 3:50 p.m.

Eboni Bryant, MSPH, MBA, Department of Community Health, Lancaster General Health, Lancaster, PA
Alice Yoder, MSN, Department of Community Health, Lancaster General Health, Lancaster, PA
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Despite being a “capacity-building” program, this local CTG program has experienced a number of successes in implementing policy changes, with limited funding and staffing. Engagement with local community coalitions over the past years, the development of trusting relationship within the local community, and the ability to create a vision for a healthier community using various channels has proven successful for the local CTG program, especially as it relates to county efforts around Young Lungs at Play (YLAP), a tobacco-free parks and playgrounds policy initiative.

METHODS: Local CTG staff brought various coalitions together, facilitated strategic planning meetings, assisted in the targeting of municipalities for the intervention, supported the work of community coalition members, and assisted in the development and placement of targeted communications campaigns.

RESULTS/OUTCOMES: To date, 22 municipalities (37%) and 13 organizations have adopted YLAP policies. Additionally, Lancaster County Government adopted a policy prohibiting tobacco use in county-owned playground areas. Without further intervention, this initiative will have increased the number of residents covered by YLAP policies from 8403 (in 2011) to 296,263 (in 2016) when the CTG grant program has completed, increasing the number of covered lives by 97%. The county goal for municipalities that have adopted Young Lungs at Play policies is 36 municipalities (or 60%), which will cover 326,636 lives when the CTG grant program has completed.

CONCLUSIONS: Hospital systems are in a prime position to influence policy change within communities.

Learning Areas:

Advocacy for health and health education
Communication and informatics
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
Identify and engage key coalition partners to develop community-level strategic plans to address tobacco policy Formulate plans to target municipalities for tobacco-free policy advocacy efforts Define partners to create communications campaigns with little or no funds Demonstrate the ability to support community coalition partners in their advocacy for policy change Analyze previous successes to ensure future successful initiatives

Keyword(s): Policy/Policy Development, Tobacco Policy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I serve as the program manager for LiveWELL Lancaster County, an initiative funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reduce chronic disease in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. In this capacity, Bryant works with leaders in various sectors of the community to implement policy, systems, and environmental changes to improve the health of county residents, and with community coalitions to develop strategies around tobacco-free living, healthy eating, clinical preventive services, and physical activity goals.
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.