Our Healthy Community Partnership- A healthy communities initiative Beginning with just an idea of a collaborative effort to improve our community's health, 18 sponsors united to form Our Healthy Community Partnership (OHCP). OHCP, remaining consistent with the healthy community model, has taken information from the 1997 10,000 household survey, focus groups, and key informants, and developed Task Groups around the top four health areas identified by the community- Continuity of Care, Domestic Violence, Tobacco Use, and Youth Substance Abuse and Risky Behavior. In response to a community need, the Task groups function to either assist in selecting an intervention and/or to lend assistance to existing groups that are already working on an intervention to improve the health of their community. The Partnership works to help communities identify its assets and resources in their own community so that the improvement process begins from within the neighborhood- building from the inside out. It is not the intent of the Partnership to do to or for a community, but rather but to do community health building by partnering with the community. Throughout 1999, each of the Task Groups has been working hard towards achieving actionable programs. The hard work has paid off as each of the Task Groups has successes leading towards improving the health of the community. The following details the activities of each Task Group: Youth Task Group · The Youth Task Group provided funding to Project SUN to conduct community focus groups as well as support for the young community developers. Project SUN (Strong Urban Neighborhood) is a community improvement project that is happening in the Leavenworth neighborhood. The project has its roots in the community and is completely driven by the neighborhood's priorities. It is a true grassroots effort. OHCP will be continuing to assist Project SUN in the future. · The Task Group has been exploring the possibility of starting an Improv Troupe within Project SUN. This group would target the schools by doing scripted plays regarding teen issues. Tobacco Task Group · The Tobacco Task Group has recently been a part of the success of Operation Storefront. Operation Storefront is an activity that attempts to raise the awareness of tobacco advertising in retail stores. On the morning of October 30, 21 teams of three to four youth and one adult went into designated retail stores to document the advertisement of tobacco products. Afterwards, the groups reconvened to discuss their experiences and have a pizza party. The event was a great success and the press was there to document it. The next step will be to analyze the data that the youth collected. Continuity of Care Task Group · The Continuity of Care Task Group is currently tackling two issues. The first issue is access to dental care. A sub-committee was formed to develop a plan to bring the dental providers, social work agencies, and the community together in attempt to identify barriers of individuals not receiving dental care. The sub-committee, in conjunction with dental providers and social work agencies, developed a one page survey that is aimed at accessing what the barriers and perceived barriers are to people receiving dental care. The surveys have been collected over a two-month period and are in the process of being analyzed. The second piece is a case management pilot. Seven agencies were selected to participate in dental case management. This pilot will continue to run through March of 2000. · Transportation is an issue that was determined to be a root cause of people not receiving health care. The Task Group has been exploring the different transportation systems that are currently in place to see exactly where the gaps lie. · The Task Group has extended funding to the Center for Diversity's Cultural Competency training that is being developed by the Urban League of Nebraska, Inc. The yearlong training will address unintentional racism in the health care setting. Domestic Violence · The Domestic Violence Task Group funded training on Latina Culture for shelter staff. The training hosted about 35-40 participants and was viewed as very helpful. The purpose of the training was to raise awareness of some of the issues facing Latina women when they enter a shelter. · OHCP has been part of an effort to unite the domestic violence advocates with the child advocates of domestic violence. Penny Parker of Campfire Boys and Girls has been heading up the effort by gathering information from all entities that deal with domestic violence. · Efforts are being made to develop and implement training for youth regarding domestic violence. Co-leader Mary Larsen, of the YMCA, is coordinating the curriculum. The hope is to introduce it into after school programs for children. Uninsured/Underinsured Task Group · In the spring of 1999, a group of healthcare providers gathered together to apply for the RWJ "Communities in Charge" grant. The grant would have provided funding to communities so that they could design and implement innovative approaches to financing and delivering healthcare to low income, uninsured individuals. Although the grant was not received, this group of providers, many of which sit on the Coordinating Council, has decided to remain together and champion this effort. The effort has been housed under OHCP as a fifth Task Group. Community Impact The unprecedented collaboration of the area hospitals, managed care companies, medical schools, and public and private health agencies is three years strong. The common goal of improving the health of the community has continued to keep these entities working together. The Task Groups have worked hard to partner with the community to support and be instrumental in developing actionable programs. OHCP has become a non-competing place for agencies with common goals to collaborate together. As OHCP enters its third year, many exciting things are happening. We will continue to focus on the priorities set by communities as we partner together to improve the health of our communities. OHCP is riding the momentum of the healthy community movement. Communities are learning that the secret of improving the health of their communities lies in identifying and mobilizing their assets and in collaboration. Individuals in neighborhoods are working together with local hospitals, managed care companies, medical schools, health systems, and other private and public health organizations and agencies in a partnership to improve the quality of life for their communities. Our Healthy Community Partnership will continue to be a pool of resources for communities to call upon. Together we can form a solid and lasting partnership in order to make a difference in the quality of life in our community. For more information: Our Healthy Community Partnership                                 115 South 49 Avenue                                 Omaha NE 68132                                 (402) 595-1864   (402) 595-2366 fax