Heal-thy Generations: A Southeast Community Health Movement

The Heal-thy Generations: A Southeast Community Health movement began in response to a community health needs assessment conducted by the Peninsula Health District in 2005. Public health professionals in the city of Newport News needed to know more about access and barriers to medical care and ancillary services in the Southeast community to better identify resource and service needs.
Steps in the assessment included individual interviews of key community leaders, focus groups of residents, individual resident surveys, observation of the community and review of health and health related statistics.

In keeping with priority areas in U.S. Healthy People 2010 and the Virginia Department of Health, the Peninsula Health District’s community health assessment focused on identifying needs and perceptions of preventing and controlling chronic diseases, educating the public about chronic disease prevention and improving access to basic chronic disease medical management and access to affordable medications.

The assessment, published in 2006, recommended the formation of a community task force of residents of the Southeast community and stakeholders in local government, health care organizations and community service agencies to focus on the reduction of chronic disease for current and future residents living in the Southeast community. The Peninsula Health District took the lead in sharing the assessment findings with key leaders from the community and local government. Further, it initiated and facilitated the formation of the community task force and provided administrative support for the effort.

The task force, Heal-thy Generations: A Southeast Community Health Movement, has achieved a great deal over the past two years. It targets three chronic diseases: diabetes, heart disease and asthma. Work groups have been established to address not only physical health concerns, but also social determinants that lead to poor health outcomes.

Following is a sampling of the work groups:

• The Primary Medical Care Work Group initially focused on enlarging the capacity of the Peninsula Christian Free Clinic. Unfortunately, the clinic closed. This necessitated action. The work group sought another program to address community needs. It is now a part of Project Care, a program funded by the Riverside Regional Health Foundation, which provides access to primary and specialty care for indigent individuals in the Southeast community and other communities in the region.
• The Food Cooperative Work Group was developed in response to questions about the availability of affordable, healthy food choices. The work group, composed of members of the community, has visited other food cooperatives, including the Friendly City Food cooperative in Harrisonburg, Virginia and is seeking a mentor food cooperative.
• The Body and Soul Work Group aligns itself with Body and Soul, a program of the American Cancer Society and Search Your Heart, a program of the American Heart Association. These programs work in conjunction with African American churches to promote healthy eating at church events and heart health and stroke prevention activities.
• The Community Residents Work Group strives to encourage community residents to become part of a steering committee that will eventually take the lead for the entire Heal-thy Generations movement. The work group meets regularly at the Moton Community House.
• The Health Promoters Work Group has enjoyed a partnership with an Eastern Virginia Medical student completing her practicum for her Master’s Degree in Public Health. A series of six classes have been conducted to educate lay persons about chronic disease and chronic disease prevention. Twenty health promoters have completed the classes and are being trained to facilitate classes within the Southeast community.
• The Community Education and Support Work Group conducts community events.
  Currently, the group is developing a walking program in partnership with Newport News Parks, Recreation and Tourism and Sentara Healthcare.

Heal-thy Generations is a wonderful example of a community based participatory approach to promote health among at risk communities. It was built with stakeholder collaboration, information sharing, capacity building and social capital. As such, the community based participatory approach cornerstone of sustainability has been met.

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