HEALTH PARTNERSHIP 2010 was formed in December, 1993, by five area health providers to encourage collaborative ways of improving the health status of the 10-county Central Texas region. The five original founding partners were: Austin/Travis County Health & Human Services Department, Brackenridge Hospital, St. David's Medical Center, SETON, and the Travis County Medical Society.
Organizations that joined HP2010 after 1994 include:
- Careforall.Net
- Austin Minority Health Network
- South Austin Medical Center
- Austin/Travis County Mental Health/Mental Retardation Center
- United Way/Capitol Area
- Austin Area Comprehensive HIV Planning Council
- Austin Independent School District
- Shoal Creek Hospital
- North Austin Medical Center
- Community Action Network
- St. David's Foundation
- Austin Community College
- Seton Healthcare Network
- University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing
(With consolidation of healthcare facilities, South Austin Medical Center, Austin Diagnostic Medical Center, and St. David's Medical Center are now part of the Columbia St. David's Healthcare System network; Brackenridge Hospital and Shoal Creek Hospital are part of the Seton Healthcare Network, and the two networks are represented by Network executives rather than individual facilities' ones.)
HP2010 is a vehicle for community building, part of a nationwide movement to improve the health status of all Americans by encouraging communities to implement regional, collaborative, health promotion and disease prevention activities.
Vision Statement:
The Austin/Central Texas community is the healthiest community in the nation.
Mission:
To develop and sustain partnerships that collaborate to establish health objectives and effect health improvement for the Austin/Central Texas Community.
Objectives:
Communication Assessment Collaboration Healthy Behaviors
Example of Initiatives
- Flu Fight - For the past 5 years, Health Partnership 2010 has co-sponsored the annual Flu Fight, which provides free flu shots to area residents during a four-day period in October. This is a collaborative effort by the area providers, with vaccine donated by the Austin/Travis County Health & Human Services Department through the actions of the Austin City Council. In October 1997 over 29,000 citizens received free flu shots. The 1998 program, October 14-17, delivered a record-number 40,000+ flu shots to area residents and more than 200 pneumonia vaccinations to at-risk, mobility-impaired elderly.
- Community Asset Mapping Workshops - Health Partnership 2010 has sponsored Dr. Jody Kretzmann, co-author of "Building Communities From the Inside Out," for three workshops in 1995 and 1996. These workshops have given community leaders, neighborhood leaders, residents, and interested individuals the tools with which to assess their community based on assets rather than needs, and how to be pro-active in building healthier neighborhoods. Two more training sessions with Jody Kretzmann and his associates were held in September 1997.
- Bicycle Helmet Safety and Anti-Smoking Ordinances - Health Partnership 2010 has lent support as a collective entity to both of these local initiatives through the Austin City Council.
- Health Status Report - 10-County Area
Health Partnership 2010 surveyed over 1200 residents in the 10-county Central Texas area in December 1993 and January 1994. Individuals were surveyed at random by telephone, and asked about their community concerns, health status, health behaviors, and health access. The first report was published in April, 1994.
The second Community Health Survey, an update of the 1994 report, has just been completed, surveying another 1200+ 10-county residents by telephone, and results were available in late 1998. A collaborative team has been working on Health Indicators, publishing reports based on the survey data that can be used by any provider or community group to facilitate their own community health projects.
These reports are made available to not only all HP2010 members, but to anyone in the communities surveyed who can use the information to better their efforts at improving the health status of area residents.
These and other efforts are a direct result of findings from the Community Health Surveys, and represent one of several initiatives that Health Partnership 2010 has taken in response to community findings.
Projects
- Health Partnership 2010 was involved through most of 1996 with the Community Action Network's Community Action Plan. The planning process had the goal of producing, by March 31, 1997, a consistent "Living" Community Action Plan that can be used by any community organization wishing to invest resources in health and human services (in the Austin/Travis County area). HP2010 has membership on both the Community Action Network Executive and Community Action Network Resource Councils, and is heavily involved in the Health Planning Body, one of the six subject areas. The Community Action Network "Strategies for Building a Strong Community: A Community Guide" was published in September, 1997, and Health Partnership 2010 helped sponsor a thank-you reception and presentation of the Guide. A follow-up companion report, "Community Assessment Report 1998," was completed and presented to the community and those who worked on the report at another reception in November, 1998.
- Health Status Indicators. Volunteers from members of Health Partnership 2010 have completed three indicators reports for the 10-county CAPCO central Texas area which address trended indicators in mortality, teen births, and suicides. These reports can be found on the Community Action Network web site.
- A "How To Plan A Healthfair" Workshop was held May 16, 1997. The workshop was free, open to any community groups, agencies, schools, churches, providers and health services who plan or participate in healthy and safety fairs. The purpose was to provide resources and information to community residents so that they may not only plan their activity, but take charge of health initiatives after the event.
- HP2010 has endorsed a Dental Needs Assessment proposal that would identify the scope of the lack of preventive services for dental caries in children in our service area, and will sponsor a Dental Sealant Day on March 27, 1999. The collaboration is with the Austin District Dental Hygienist's Society, the Capitol Area Dental Society, the Indigent Care Collaboration, and the Austin/Travis County Health & Human Services Department.
- Health Partnership 2010 is currently reviewing five "Healthy Communities"Initiatives proposed by the Austin/Travis County Health & Human Services Department, to see how these can be linked to HP2010 goals and strategies, and how they link to Community Action Network assessments.