The Planning Process:
Public Health

Though our community has been through strategic planning processes before, this is the first time that public health has ever been addressed in such a plan. Our committee was charged with the task. The importance of the health of our residents has never been more predominate given the challenges our society currently faces. Those challenges include inability to access health care, chronic disease and the overall decline in healthy living habits prevalent today.

The Public Health Chapter was developed by health professionals in our community representing the majority of organizations that are committed to all categories of health services in our area. Our vision is to develop and sustain a healthy community where everyone can thrive.

The long-range goals developed are as follows:

• Focus on prevention through increasing access to healthy foods and physical activity across all socioeconomic sectors.
• Prevent and reduce the burden of obesity and related chronic disease through increased physical activity and healthy weight management.
• Foster an environment that encourages the process and distribution of locally grown food and support sustainable agricultural development initiatives and practices.
• Develop and ensure safe and healthy environments both indoors and outdoors.
• Prevent and control disease and illness across the lifespan and protect the public from infectious, environmental and bioterrorist hazards.
• Increase access to health care services for all populations.
• Strengthen the Health Department’s capacity to conduct ongoing assessments, expand core public health services and programs, and serve as model for prevention.
• Improve the community’s health through prevention, early detection and management of chronic diseases.
• Establish a Public Health and Wellness Advisory Council to bring prevention and wellness to the forefront of the areas efforts to improve health.

As you can see from the goals, the chapter focuses on prevention efforts and places the responsibility for attaining these goals on everyone.

Our society will become healthier when employers provide a healthy work environment, when all people have access to fresh fruits and vegetables, when each neighborhood has close access to safe trails, when all people are engaged in appropriate physical activity and all people have access to health care services.

It is our hope that this chapter will lead to greater collaboration amongst organizations and public institutions in working together to address these issues for the benefit of all.

By: Brad Toft - Ozarks Regional YMCA and Carmen Parker Bradshaw - formerly of the Springfield-Greene County Regional Health Commission
4.25.2011