May 9, 2024
Media Contact: Linda Scarborough, PIO, linda.scarborough@vdh.virginia.gov
Pittsylvania-Danville Health and Southside Health Districts Conduct Meeting to Recognize and Educate Staff
CHATHAM, Va.– The Pittsylvania-Danville (PDHD) and Southside (SSHD) Health Districts held an All Staff Meeting on April 19, at the Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex in Chatham, VA. The meeting was hosted by Dr. Scott Spillmann, director of the two health districts.
During one of the sessions, Dr. Spillmann gave an overview of the Robert W. Johnson County Health Rankings. The County Health Rankings is a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (UWPHI). Through this data, counties within each state are ranked on more than 30 health factors such as education, jobs, and access to quality health care.
Population Health Manager Brenna Link discussed the Community Health Assessment (CHA) and the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) processes. The CHA is an examination of the health status of the community that is used to identify key health issues and assets within the community. Based on the data discovered in the CHA, a collaborative plan (CHIP) brings multiple local organizations/groups and residents together to develop an action plan for the community.
To further educate the group, special guest Phil Hysell, science and operations officer with the National Weather Service in Blacksburg, Va., gave a presentation on dangerous weather conditions, which included identification of various thunderstorm and cloud types.
Additional topics covered during the meeting included a staff health and wellness session presented by Kelsey Jones of CommonHealth Virginia. The health district’s Business Manager, Krystal Davis, covered a variety of employee engagement topics, including various updates scheduled for the facilities to enhance the work environments at both health district offices.
Several team building exercises were conducted during the day, including staff forming small groups to move stacks of Solo cups into a six-cup pyramid shape using a grappler tool made from a string and rubber band.
Other special guests included: Susan Fischer Davis, M.D., chief deputy commissioner for community health services; Michael Kalson, district senior HR manager; Christina Niblett, regional HR business partner; Brookie Crawford, central region public information officer (PIO) and Linda Scarborough, western region PIO.
Also recognized during the event was Tracy Corns, BSN, RN. Tracy’s compassion and expertise helped comfort an individual who needed emergency medical attention. Recently, Tracy was leaving the Department of Social Services (DSS) to return to the health department office. She saw a man walking towards the building who she thought appeared to look ill. As he was headed into the DSS building, Tracy held the door for him and asked how he was feeling. While he thought he might be having a heart attack, he refused to let Tracy contact 911. She advised DSS to watch for any deteriorating symptoms which may require medical assistance. He later returned to the health department to ask for Tracy to call 911. As they waited for the ambulance to arrive, Tracy took his vitals and continued to comfort the man. Once the medical personnel arrived, the electrocardiogram indicated that he was having a heart attack, and he was transported to the hospital. Tracy was presented with a certificate of recognition during the staff meeting for her keen observation and her compassion to readily assist someone faced with a dire medical emergency.
Both PDHD and SSHD offer a variety of community health services to prevent disease, promote healthy lifestyles and protect our community from environmental and other hazards. You can learn more about these services on PDHD or SSHD websites.