Creative community efforts to promote health

Building a healthy community is not a solitary process....we all need to pitch in, work together and create innovative ways to address health needs in our neighborhoods. In so many communities across the country, this is exactly what is quietly happening. The WINGS program in San Antonio provides free breast cancer screening, treatment services and supports to uninsured women. A Baltimore-based program, Birth Advocates helps low-income women navigate prenatal care and community resources. In Oklahoma City, the Mayor hoped the entire community will get into the program when he launched the "Oklahoma City is going on a diet" program - which provides resources, encouragement, and tools for individuals to set and achieve weight loss goals.

These are the types of programs we at LeadingHealthyCommunities.com seek to share with you on a wider scale. By documenting these programs, we hope to provide you with a blueprint for replication in your community. SO TELL US MORE!

What examples are you aware of from your community? Albeit your own organization's program or the running/walking, nutrition program and gardening program your son participates in after school. Help broaden the impact of these programs and share these examples today.

Let us spread the word....

Holidays

The holidays are often a time when we are most busy and least able to manage the additional stress. I was just reminded of this fact the other day when a woman contacted Leadinghealthycommunities.com asking about resources for her mother who had been recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. Her parents are without healthcare coverage and her father (who only worked part-time due to recent job layoffs) still earned too much money to qualify for state-assistance. She said her family could not afford to pay for her mother's care out of pocket. She was extremely worried about her mother who -- burdened with the guilt of expensive treatment, could not possible be in the right mindset to fight the cancer.



My immediate thoughts were -- who can afford to pay out of pocket for medical care....? Really? When you are talking about such high cost tre treatments, few could afford to pay out of pocket for their own care.

I directed her to a resource group, WINGS in San Antonio, Texas which specializes in helping "low-income" women get screening for breast cancer and if necessary subsequent treatment. And told her I would keep thinking about other resources for her (PLEASE SHARE ANY IDEAS WITH ME AND I WILL PASS IT ALONG). Ever since speaking with her, I have been thinking about the fact that there are so many families who are struggling with this very same problem.

At Leadinghealthcommunities.com we hope to try to make it easier for communities groups to start programs to promote health, expand access to care, or educate harder to reach populations. You can help by sharing information you may have on innovative health programs in your area. We would love to know about them.

Happy Holidays.

New Administration

With the election finally behind us, everyone - from a convenience store owner to the president-elect - is eager to get down to the business of running the country.

Much of the focus will be on the economy and helping Americans dig out from this economic crisis. However, health care will certainly feature prominently in discussions -- as we contemplate helping those who have lost their jobs and in turn their health coverage.

What are your thoughts on how the new Obama Administration can help you in your efforts to improve health? Have you thought about who you would like to see appointed Secretary of Health and Human Services? How can the new administration help you in your work in the community?

LHC Survey

One year after launching our website, Leadinghealthycommunities.com, we are gathering feedback from our case study partners on site utility, services and possible conferences and programs. Answer such questions as:

• Would you be interested in attending a conference which would allow you to network with community leaders, share resources, and learn from one another?
• How else could LHC present materials to better meet your needs?
• What additional content would be helpful to you in your work?

We would appreciate your taking a moment to complete this survey and share your thoughts. Your advice will be extremely helpful in guiding website expansions and improvements.

To participate in the survey click on the following link:

http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e2dgmua0flu0bxs3/start

Presidential Election '08

On your mark, get set, go....

Labor Day has traditionally marked the start of the "real" election season - when political rhetoric and policy debates reach a fever pitch. We at Leadinghealthycommunities.com are hopeful that health care will feature a prominent role in political discourse.

Health08.org [http://www.health08.org/index.cfm] a Kaiser Family Foundation website provides an ongoing analysis of health care issues addressed by the presidential candidates. The site provides links to useful articles, side-by-side comparisons of reform plans, and health reform video sound bites. The site helps visitors better understand the candidates reform plans and form their own opinions on the issues and candidates.

In summary:

The McCain health reform plan seeks to:

"Remove the favorable tax treatment of employer-sponsored insurance and provide a tax credit to all individuals and families to increase incentives for insurance coverage; promote insurance competition; and contain costs through provider payment changes, tort reform and other measures. "

The Barrack Obama plan would:

"Require all children to have health insurance, expand public programs such as Medicaid and SCHIP, and compel employers to offer employee health benefits or contribute to the cost of a new public program. A National health Insurance Exchange would permit small businesses and individuals without access to other public programs or employer-based coverage to enroll in a new public plan or in approved private plans."

While both plans propose new ideas around how Americans might obtain or pay for health care services, which plan do you feel might offer substantive change helping communities provide health care to their residents?

How might you change the system to lessen communities' burden caring for those without health care access?

Share your thoughts, information, and resources.

Proposed National Community Health Leaders Summit

LHC organizers are in the early stages of planning an annual meeting to discuss the challenges community health leaders face in launching health improvement efforts. This event would permit leaders from across the country to network, share resources, and learn from those who have trodden similar paths before.

Would you be interested in attending such an event?

What topics you might like to discuss? Would you be interested in hearing from experts, community leaders who have launched successful initiatives, or both?

What other ideas do you have to share?

Employers Involvement in Community Health

I recently came across an article, Employers Unlocking Health Care Expertise (Business Insurance, July 7, 2008) which explores how business are “helping themselves by helping others”. Employers, the author argues, are engaging local providers, coordinating on site health fairs and investing in health information technology and health improvement programs -- all with the hope of improving the health of current and future employees.

At the core of many of these efforts is a movement to increase “consumerism” in health care. Employers hope that providing community members with access to health information and performance data will empower individuals to make cost-effective healthcare decisions. Using tactics such as doctor and hospital report cards employers hope to improve transparency in the health care and keep overall costs low.

Are there any business-based community efforts like these in your area? Are these businesses working alone or as part of a coalition? Do the employers actively support the health related efforts or do they just provide financial support? Share your thoughts!

For more information on employer based efforts, visit the National Business Coaltion on Health.

New White House Administration

Now that the major political parties have finally selected their nominees for President of the United States, it's time to talk policy. Whoever wins, one thing is for certain, come 2009 there will be a new administration in the White House. Which begs the question, "What could a new president do to stimulate community health projects?"

What would you say to the new administration???

for example:

Are there barriers that could be removed to help encourage people to lead healthier, higher-quality lives, and improve the overall health of your community?

As a community collaborative leader are there issues of funding or technical support holding you back from fully implementing your improvement efforts?

Should the White House focus on community health in general or launch community initiatives specifically targeting issues like obesity, access, or workforce issues?


So what would it be? What would the next administration's White House Initiative on Community Health look like -- if you were in charge?

Welcome

Welcome to Healthy Community Conversations, a interactive exchange of ideas and opinions about health and health care in our communities.

Though our conversations we want to bring together wise, committed, and passionate people and provide them the resources and encouragement to make things happen. We will listen, learn, and remove roadblocks. In the end, help people in geographically diverse communities lead healthier, higher-quality lives.

Please share with us any topics you would like to explore.