Media Release
Contact: Mary Von Mohr
February 16, 2016 3:00 p.m.
Please join the Partnership for a Healthier Nassau (PHN) at the upcoming Community Health Meeting for the Nassau Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) 2016-2018 scheduled for February 24, 2016 from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm at the Red Bean Center’s Nassau Room (Bldg. 30, Room T-126), 76346 William Burgess Blvd., Yulee, FL.
The strategy areas for the new CHIP were developed when the Partnership (PHN) convened a Community Meeting on September 17, 2015 in Yulee and forty six attendees reviewed health assessments then participated in a two hour strategic prioritization session. For the 2016-18 CHIP the strategy areas will be (1) Access to Care/Healthcare Provider needs, (2) Behavioral Health & Substance Abuse and (3) Transportation.
Before beginning a new phase of CHIP work, the Partnership reviewed the highlights from the Nassau CHIP 2012-2015, which concluded on Dec. 31, 2015. There were five strategy areas identified for the Nassau CHIP 2012-2015: Access to Care, Behavioral Health, Chronic Disease Prevention, Injury and Violence, and Maternal/Child Health.
Action items and objectives were developed for each of the strategy areas. The previous CHIP action plan can be found at the Partnership for a Healthier Nassau Initiative Center on the Northeast Florida Counts data website. Overall, the work done has been effective for improving the health of our community members when looking at data currently available.
Barnabas, Coalition for the Reduction & Elimination of Ethnic Disparities in Health (CREED), the Council on Aging, and Nassau Transit took lead roles in the area of Access to Care. Of the five, this was the strategy area with the most obstacles. Funding was not available for additional health services through a Federally Qualified Health Center or transportation projects. However, expansion of health care services funded by grants to the Barnabas Center was accomplished.
Another highlight from work done in the Access to Care area was the development of a Community Resource Guide that is available to all residents and has become an invaluable tool for system partners working in various sectors of Nassau County. In addition to the original guide of general resources, another resource guide was developed containing listings specific to Mental Health Services. And, recently, a Worksite Wellness Resource Guide has been added to these.
To access these resource guides, please go to http://nassau.floridahealth.gov/ and look under Popular Programs and Services.
The above mentioned Behavioral Health Resource Guide was completed by the Nassau Alcohol Crime & Drug Abatement Coalition (NACDAC) as part of a second CHIP strategy area, Behavioral Health (BH). Other BH highlights include securing a Climate Transformation Grant through a NACDAC/Nassau Schools partnership, PQR (suicide prevention) and Mental Health First Aid trainings (Starting Point Behavioral Health & NACDAC) and Rx Drop-off Boxes for on-going unused medicine disposal. In coordination with these activities were objectives to increase mental health resource utilization, decrease youth suicide, and reduce drug-related emergency room visits and reported crimes.
Other CHIP successes occurred in the third strategy area of Chronic Disease Prevention. Walking Groups were started, including a “Walk with Me” activity developed through a partnership between UF/IFAS Extension and the YMCA. Nutrition and self-management classes were offered to employees of the Nassau County School District and community members through funding from a Cancer Control Grant, Baptist Medical Center and Barnabas. And regular communications of physical activity events in our area are dispersed through our Nassau County Health Improvement Coalition list serve. The objectives related to these activities revolved around reducing county rates of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
Other Chronic Disease Prevention activities pertained to objectives related to Tobacco Cessation/Prevention and Worksite Wellness. Through citation classes, an active Tobacco Free Nassau Partnership, local Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) programs and corporate partners like CVS, the aim was to reduce tobacco use from a 2010 level of a 19.3% occurrence in Nassau adults. The aforementioned Worksite Wellness Resource Guide was developed as a result of the Nassau County Worksite Wellness Initiative, which utilized remaining ACHIEVE Grant dollars to hire a coach to work with local companies on employee health promotion.
The Injury and Violence group decided to work on reducing motor vehicle accidents, domestic violence and child abuse. Community partners with these activities included Nassau County Traffic Safety team, AmeriCorps, the Sheriff’s Office, Fernandina Beach Police, Micah’s Place, the Nassau County School District, Family Support Services, local newspapers, and area businesses. Efforts included promotion of Distracted Driving programs across the community and events for Child Abuse Prevention Month and Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
In the last strategy area of Maternal Child Health, activities focused on infant mortality and teen pregnancy prevention. This area utilized the work of Nassau Healthy Start and the Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition with local schools, community events, health department offices, teens, parents and the Teen Leadership Council. An Infant Mortality Taskforce was created along with a Teen Pregnancy Prevention workgroup.
For more details and data related to the Nassau CHIP 2012-2015 please go to: http://www.nefloridacounts.org/index.php?module=InitiativeCenters&func=display&icid= 2.
Kim Clemons, chair of the Nassau County Health Improvement Coalition (NCHIC) states, “I commend our member agencies and others who worked diligently for the betterment of their clients and our community members to create a healthier Nassau County. Anyone who wants to join our ongoing efforts to support the CHIP process is welcome at NCHIC which meets every other month at the Nassau County Children & Family Education Center, aka the Full Service School. Contact Kelly Cook at [email protected] for upcoming meeting dates.”
Interested community members, health system partners, and social service providers can get involved now in the Nassau Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) 2016- 2018. For more information or to RSVP for the February 24th meeting, please contact Mary von Mohr at 904 530-6761 or email at [email protected]
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