Coalition building on a shoestring budget: How community partners and local health staff partnered for policy change

The Putnam County Department of Health (PCDOH) received demonstration project funding four years ago to develop an action plan for implementation of policy and environmental changes that addressed New York State Department of Health Prevention Agenda objectives. One grant requirement was to build community engagement through coalition building.  To that end, a coalition of five community agencies and the PCDOH was formed.  Since then, under the leadership of the PCDOH, the coalition, named Live Healthy Putnam (LHP), has grown to include 28 local community organizations. LHP’s success is attributable to a core team of dedicated stakeholders who share mutual goals and have a positive attitude.

 Literature on effective coalitions shows that those with a plan are more likely to achieve set goals. Recently, coalition members worked with the PCDOH to develop the county’s Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). This five-year plan serves as the framework for ongoing coalition activities.  Subcommittees were formed to focus on specific CHIP goals and to formulate objectives and activities for achieving them.

One CHIP objective focuses on tobacco prevention and cessation.  LHP supported PCDOH’s advocacy efforts to advise the county legislature to enact legislation to ban the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies.  Through coalition members, PCDOH conducted community and policy-level education on the importance of this proposed legislation. As a result of these efforts, the legislation passed the Health Committee of the County Legislature.