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1997 Community Guide
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1997 Community Guide |
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HealthVision StatementSummaryCritical ConditionsDesired Community ImpactsStrategiesOutcomesVision StatementTravis County will be a community where residents, as individuals and groups, provide leadership and take responsibility, in a creative and collaborative way, for the health and well-being of themselves and each other. SummaryA traditional focus on a finite number of disease or other health conditions did not adequately address the interrelated and multi-faceted issues in health. Instead, a systems view for improving health that focuses on relationships and barriers that cut across disease conditions was adopted for this plan. The foundation of this plan is:
Health is impacted by many factors ranging from basic needs and safety to social support, education and workforce opportunities. To improve effectiveness, a holistic view that takes into account these relationships must be developed. Health is a shared responsibility between healthcare providers, individuals, groups, and the community as a whole. Health strategies should emphasize active involvement of service recipients and other stakeholders. All health programs and initiatives must be culturally sensitive and culturally appropriate. Although we did not formally identify target populations, there are several that are more at-risk in terms of health issues:
Our strategies for improving health in the community fall into four broad categories:
Critical ConditionsA. Healthy behaviors are not universally adopted B. Health information is not easily accessible and health messages are not consistent C. Some community norms (values, policies, practices) do not support and reinforce health E. There is a lack of access to a continuum of effective healthcare and supporting social services F. Linkages between health-related entities are often weak G. Health issues are not addressed holistically. The importance of intersecting issues must be recognized, including basic needs, education, safety, environmental health and mental health Desired Community ImpactsFoundation B. Create community norms and standards that support and reinforce health C. Create a monitoring and evaluation system to support improvement of health and its impact on intersecting issues Promotion of Individual Health D. Increase awareness and practice of healthy behaviors E. Improve access to health information and consistent health messages Health / Care System F. Improve the capacity and effectiveness of prevention efforts G. Improved access to a continuum of effective healthcare and supporting social services H. Develop provider linkages that improve effectiveness, access and accountability StrategiesCommunity: Facilitate individuals', organizations' and communities' ability to practice healthy behaviors, self-care and prevention. A. Awareness: Increase awareness and understanding that changes in health status (both positive and negative) significantly impact both individuals and organizations B. Involvement: Increase use of health strategies that build on grassroots community strengths and include effective community participation C. Reinforcement: Recognize and reinforce healthy behavior, responsibility, and the practice of prevention by individuals, organizations and communities Education: Adopt a comprehensive, holistic approach to health education in multiple settings (homes, schools, work-sites, community centers) that improves health status. D. Capacity Enhancement: Develop a support system within school settings which promotes and reinforces health and safety (such as school nurses and health educators in every school, wellness programs, a healthy school environment and other parent-teacher partnerships which promote health) E. Curriculum: Implement a Kindergarten through 12th grade planned, sequential, comprehensive health and safety education curriculum that provides an age-appropriate awareness of (1) health and safety issues and actions to address them and (2) healthcare resources and how to access them F. Community: Implement in youth and adult community/neighborhood settings, age-appropriate awareness of (1) health and safety issues and actions to address them and (2) healthcare resources and how to access them Health System Capacity and Structure (Prevention and Intervention): Realign and/or redesign the health system and structures using a continuum of care model to enhance system capacity and health outcomes and ensure responsiveness to the clients it serves. G. Access to Care: Improve access to health services by decreasing barriers of affordability, cultural sensitivity, transportation and hours of operation H. Continuum of Care: Develop collaborations between providers that focus on (1) patient outcomes (versus competition for funding) (2) negotiated roles and responsibilities between the city and county and health/human service professionals and organizations, and (3) increased awareness and appropriate utilization of community resources I. Wellness and Prevention Capacity: Invest in facilities, resources and activities which enable individuals, groups and neighborhoods to adopt healthy behaviors J. Information Systems: Invest in information systems and processes that improve healthcare service delivery (including information accuracy, timeliness, access and utilization) Monitoring and Evaluation: Develop a system that measures and objectively evaluates progress towards community health goals, communicates results, and effectively informs future improvement efforts and investment. K. Communication: Invest in effective communication of community health findings that reveal actionable opportunities for improvement L. Community System: Invest in an independent, ongoing system to measure and evaluate effectiveness and progress in attaining health outcomes OutcomesHealth Outcome Indicators * A. Decreased age-adjusted acute care hospital admission rates B. Improved age-adjusted health status C. Improved age-adjusted mortality rates D. Increased early diagnosis of disease E. Reduced emergency room visit rates related to unintentional injuries F. Improved functional status G. Reduced incidence rates by disease/injury category H. Improved measures of basic sanitation: air, water and food quality System Capacity Indicators I. Improved knowledge and skills related to health J. Increased immunization rates K. Increased access to continuum of care as reported by persons with or without the ability to pay L. Decreased percentage of population without health insurance M. Increased percentage of population with a primary source of medical care N. Increased percentage of pregnant women receiving early prenatal care O. Increased ability of providers to refer clients to needed health services P. Increased use of case management services Q. Reduced waiting time for appointments R. Measurable improved changes in the wellness/prevention system capacity Health Behavior Indicators S. Reduced rate of adolescent pregnancies T. Increased appropriate use of primary care and hospital emergency services U. Decreased prevalence of self-reported unhealthy behaviors V. Increased use of family planning services by women of childbearing age W. Increased use of sexual health services by young men X. Increased participation in age-appropriate health screenings * In selecting health conditions for monitoring as outcomes, the planning group chose the following as the highest priorities:
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