health

Improve health of children, individuals & families through expanded access, preventive care and healthy behaviors.

 

County Health Rankings and Roadmap Project

 

Focus Area 1: Safe Home and Community-

Home environment will be healthy and safe and communities will support individual health & safety. defined by the ohio department of aging as any behavior, activity or situation in the consumer’s home which, left unaddressed and unresolved, would endanger the consumer.

Example: a consumer’s house is debris covered and consumer or others risk falling or exits are blocked and no clear path exists for emergency personnel to extract a person from the home.

 
Strategy 1: Increase the number of seniors age 65 and over who are in a safe environment.
 
Strategy 2: Assure high risk seniors receive coordinated services and care to allow them to remain in their homes.
 
 

Focus Area 2: Healthy Beginning-

Babies are born at low risk for preventable health problems.
 
Strategy 1: Increase use of preventive care for mothers and children.
 
Strategy 2: Raise awareness of disparities for race, income & location.
 
 

Focus Area 3: Healthy Eating and Physical Activity -

Making healthy choices possible for a nutritious diet and physical activity.
 
Strategy 1: Increase access to nutritious foods for children, individuals and families.
 
Strategy 2: Increase opportunities for physical exercise and play.
 
 

Focus Area 4: Access to Health Care-

Improve access to quality, affordable medical, dental and behavioral health care and wellness services to the uninsured/underinsured.
 
Strategy 1: Link children, individuals & families to health insurance coverage.
 
Strategy 2: Improve utilization of available health services.
 
 
 
 
Intended Results and Indicators of Health
 

Focus Area 1: Safe Home and Community-

Home environment will be healthy and safe and communities will support individual health & safety. defined by the ohio department of aging as any behavior, activity or situation in the consumer’s home which, left unaddressed and unresolved, would endanger the consumer. Example: a consumer’s house is debris covered and consumer or others risk falling or exits are blocked and no clear path exists for emergency personnel to extract a person from the home.
 
Strategy 1: Increase the number of seniors age 65 and over who are in a safe environment.
 
Baseline: Between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010, 7,298 or 48% of reports to Adult Protective Services in the State of Ohio were for self-neglect.
 
Baseline: Between January 1, 2011 and May 31, 2011, Help Hotline received 4,842 calls from those age 60 and over for a variety of non-emergency support services.
 
Anticipated Impact: Seniors aged 65 and over who are in an unsafe environment transition to safe environment.
 
Indicator:
 
 
Anticipated Impact: Reduced number of seniors being removed from their homes due to unsafe living conditions.
 
Indicator: Number of seniors who avoid utility shut-offs.
 
Indicator: Number of seniors who remain in their homes
 
 
Strategy 2: Assure high risk seniors successfully age in place in their homes.
 
Baseline: Will be established year 1.
 
 
Anticipated Impact: High risk seniors are identified and get appropriate coordinated services
 
Indicator: Number of those identified for services
 
Indicator: Number of those referred for services
 
Indicator: Number of cases with a positive resolution
 
Indicator: Number of cases utilizing the Mahoning Adult Protective Network
 
 

Focus Area 2: Healthy Beginning-

Babies are born at low risk for preventable health problems.
 
 
Strategy 1: Increase use of preventive care for mothers and children.
 
Examples from United Way Worldwide Health Strategies:
  • Increase access to primary, oral health, gynecological and obstetrical care through increased enrollment in public health programs including Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicaid, Healthy Start and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
  • Increase access to care and coverage, including efforts to improve enrollment in public programs and reduce cultural barriers to care through local, state and federal advocacy.
  • Improve patient education on preventive health.
  • Improve the ability of culturally competent health care and language access services, including access to health information for those with limited English proficiency.
  • Build supportive relationships among new mothers during pregnancy and postpartum through targeted group connections and facilitated networking.
  • Increase understanding of health coverage, how to obtain and how to use it.
  • Support policy initiatives to improve parent education, including home visitation programs.
  • Connect mothers and children with a medical home by:

1.Facilitating enrollment in health coverage and identifying a primary care provider who accepts that coverage.

2. Linking key health care organizations and community agencies to provide a more seamless screening, enrolling and assignment to a medical home.

3. Encourage medical homes to use visits as an opportunity to provide risk assessments and education to women of a childbearing age.

4. Implement culturally sensitive strategies that will increase the likelihood that residents will seek appropriate care and treatment.

 
Anticipated Impact: Reduction of low birth weight and premature births.
 
 
Indicator: % of women who receive prenatal care in the first trimester
 
Baseline: 64.6% of women in Mahoning County who gave birth in 2008 began prenatal care in the 1st trimester of their pregnancies (Healthy People 2020 target is 77.9%)
 
Indicator: % of women who report abstaining from tobacco use during pregnancy
 
Baseline: 87.8% of women in Mahoning County who gave birth in 2008 reported abstaining from tobacco use during pregnancy (Healthy People 2020 target is 98.6%)
 
 

Strategy 2: Raise awareness of disparities for race, income & location.

Examples can be found at the following websites:

www.cdc.gov/socialdeterminants,

www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/DOHAbout.aspx,

www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview

 
Anticipated Impact: Increased awareness among the general population and policymakers.
 
Indicator: Number of public events that focus on health disparities and health equity.
 
Indicator: Number of attendees who report increased understanding
 
 

Focus Area 3: Healthy Eating and Physical Activity -

Making healthy choices possible for a nutritious diet and physical activity.
 
 
Strategy 1: Increase access to nutritious foods for children, individuals and families.
 
Examples from United Way Worldwide Health Strategies:
  • Increase the availability and affordability of nutritious foods in new and existing grocery stores, neighborhood farmers’ markets and community gardens.
  • Strengthen school wellness policies with specific standards for all foods available in school.
  • Ensure vending machines in school and workplaces include healthy options through advocacy and education.
 
Examples from the 2011 Tri-County Community Health Assessment & Planning Initiative:
  • Work with schools to reduce or eliminate junk food from vending machines
  • Work with community organizations such as food policy councils and food co-ops
  • Conduct shelf inventory in grocery stores
  • Work with vending machine companies to encourage placement of healthier foods
  • Promote community gardens, farmers markets, youth gardening
Baseline: 40% of the people in Mahoning County do not have access to healthy foods (Mahoning County Health Rankings. 18% is national benchmark.)
 
 
Anticipated Impact: People have access to healthy food.
 
Indicator: Number of people accessing farmers markets.
 
Indicator: Number of retail food vendors and agencies that offer fresh fruits and vegetables.
 
Indicator: Number of food pantries that offer fresh fruit and vegetables.
 
Indicator: Numberof neighborhood gardens and community supported agriculture.
 
Indicator: Number of congregate feeding sites that serve nutritious food.
 
Indicator: Number of schools with healthier food choices.
 
 
Strategy 2: Increase physical activity levels among children and adults.
 
Examples from United Way Worldwide Health Strategies:
  • Improve access to safe places to exercise and play (e.g. safe routes to school) through community and urban planning.
  • Promote walking and biking to school by securing safe routes.
  • Strengthen school wellness policies to include standards-based daily physical education taught by a qualified instructor who helps develop the knowledge, attitudes, skills, behaviors and confidence needed to be physically active for life.
  • Increase physical activity in after-school programs.
  • Promote the use of school facilities (particularly pools, gymnasiums and athletic fields) outside of school hours.
  • Advocate for workplace-based health improvement programs.
  • Improve and implement school wellness policies that include behavior-focused nutrition education integrated into the curriculum that is interactive and teaches the skills needed to adopt healthy eating habits.
  • Encourage medical professionals to routinely counsel and educate patients about the benefits of adopting and maintaining a healthy diet and regular physical activity.
 
Examples from the 2011 Tri-County Community Health Assessment & Planning Initiative:
  • Work with employers to implement worksite wellness programs
  • Encourage employers to offer health assessments to employees
  • Work with schools to support implementing Coordinated School Health Model
 
Examples of Evidence-based Programs from the Community Guide to Preventive Services (www.thecommunityguide.org)
 
  • Behavioral interventions to reduce screen time (computer and TV).
  • Technology-supported multi-component coaching or counseling interventions to reduce weight and maintain weight loss
  • Worksite programs
  • Community-wide campaigns and informational approaches to increase physical activity
  • Environmental and policy approaches to increase physical activity
  • Point-of-decision prompts to encourage use of stairs
  • Creation of or enhanced access to places for physical activity combined with informational outreach activities
 
Anticipated Impact: Adult and childrenwill meet Healthy People 2020 guidelines for aerobic physical activity and muscle-strengthening activity.
 
Indicator: self-reported physical activity levels that meet moderate to vigorous physical activity.
 
Baseline: 50.7% of adults in Mahoning County reported 30+ minutes of moderate physical activity five or more days per week (150 minutes per week), or vigorous physical activity for 20+ minutes three or more days per week (60 minutes per week) in 2009 http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/BRFSS-SMART/index.asp (Healthy People 2020 objective is a 10% improvement).
 
Baseline: Mahoning County students in grades 7 through 12 reported participating in physical activity that made them sweat and breath hard an average of 4.2 days in the past 7 days in 2008 (Source: PEP Survey, Mahoning County Educational Service Center)
 
Indicators: Number of people who report 30+ minutes of moderate physical activity five or more days per week (150 minutes per week).
 
Indicators: Number of people who report vigorous physical activity for 20+ minutes per week three or more days per week (60 minutes per week)
 
Indicators: Number of students in grades 7 through 12 reporting participation in physical activity that made them sweat and breath hard an average of 4.2 days in 7 days. 
 
 

Focus Area 4: Access to Health Care-

Improve access to quality, affordable medical, dental and behavioral health care and wellness services to the uninsured/underinsured.
 
 
Strategy 1: Link children, individuals & families to health insurance coverage.
  • Assist eligible patients with enrollment in appropriate, publicly funded health care coverage, programs and community-based alternatives, including community health centers.
  • Connect patients with a medical home by:
  • Facilitating enrollment in health coverage and identifying a primary care provider who accepts that coverage.
  • Linking key health care organizations and community agencies to provide more seamless screening, enrollment and assignment to a medical home.
  • Improve access to care by working with schools and community partners to strengthen school-based health programs and services.
  • Simplify the enrollment and renewal process for publicly funded health care programs through advocacy.
 
Anticipated Impact: Children through age 18 who are eligible for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program will be enrolled.
 
Indicator: Percent of children who are insured
 
Baseline: 2.2% of children in Mahoning County were uninsured in 2008 (Source: Ohio Family Health Survey http://www.mahoninghealth.org/Portals/MCBOH/Documents/SpecialReports/The%20Promise%20of%20CHIP%202009.pdf)
 
 
 
Strategy 2: Improve utilization of available health services.
  • Increase transportation to health care services.
  • Implement culturally sensitive practices with providers that will increase the likelihood that all residents will seek appropriate care and treatment.
  • Improve the availability of culturally competent health care and language access services, including access to health information with limited English proficiency.
 
Anticipated Impact: Low-income under-insured or uninsured persons are linked to health services
 
Indicator: # of individuals with a medical home, access to dental care, and prescription drugs.
 

Baseline: 11.5% of adults in Mahoning County had no medical home in 2008 (Source: Ohio Family Health Survey)

Baseline: 12.1% of adults in Mahoning County needed dental care in 2008 but could not secure it in the past 12 months

Baseline: 15.7% of adults in Mahoning County needed a prescription but could not secure it due to cost in the past 12 months

 

Indicator: Number who are referred to Access Health Mahoning Valley
 
Baseline: data not yet available
 
 
Anticipated Impact: School-age children are providedschool-based suicide- and depression-risk screening.
 
Baseline: 26 Mahoning County school districts provide screening to middle-school-age students.
 
Indicator: Number of students screened
 
Indicator: Number of schools offering screening.
 
Indicator: Number of students referred for additional services.

 

(back to the top)