NEWS RELEASE
CONTACT: Ann Shultz
ann@annsmarketing.com
503.951.3417
Community Health Improvement Plan Addresses Local Wellness Needs
With six areas of focus, new initiatives aim to improve overall quality of life in the community
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McMINNVILLE, ORE. 11 JULY, 2019—Yamhill Community Care (YCCO) recently released the 2019-‘24 Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) identifying key areas of focus for the next five years. The CHIP is the result of six months of work compiling information on the health needs of the community through the Community Health Assessment (CHA). The process was guided by the YCCO Community Advisory Council (CAC) and involved gathering state and national data as well as local information through surveys, focus groups and public forums.
“We can’t meet the needs of the people we serve without asking them what they need,” said YCCO Community Health Specialist Emily Johnson. “This process gives us a chance to put stories to the data and learn what matters most to our community.”
The CHIP identifies top health concerns in six key areas: behavioral health; children and families; social determinants of health such as housing and transportation; access to care; oral health; and trauma and resiliency. Objectives for obtaining measurable outcomes are laid out in each of these areas along with strategies for achieving them. For example, under social determinants of health, an objective identified is to increase the number of community members connected to stable housing through the use of Service Integration Teams’ (SIT) housing specific funds.
The goal is to double the number of people helped through the SIT by August 2020 in order to prevent eviction. Outcomes from the CHIP are measured by setting baselines and tracking progress. Annual progress reports are submitted to the Oregon Health Authority and the CAC will meet regularly to track the work being done toward CHIP goals and adapt and modify as needed to meet changing needs and resources.
Yamhill CCO’s original contract expires on December 31st, 2019, but this week, the Oregon Health Authority released its intent to award a new contract, effective January 1, 2020. “We are excited to continue working with our partners toward a unified and healthy community; the CHIP gives us a clear action plan to make outcome-driven improvements which will incite bigger changes to improve community-wide wellness,” said Seamus McCarthy, Ph.D., YCCO President and Chief Executive Officer.
The CHIP is available for download on the YCCO website at ycco.madcollective.com/ under About Us. To get involved with the CAC and help make decisions about community projects, people living in the Yamhill County area are asked to contact Emily Johnson at ejohnson@yamhillcco.org or 503-376-7428