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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Julia A. Bucher, RN, PhD, PA Div-ACS, RR 3 Box 1576, Milton, PA 17847, 570-546-9413, jbucher@cancer.org, Susan F. George, BS, Division of Chronic Disease Intervention, Pennsylvania Department of Health, Room 1011, Health & Welfare Building, PO Box 90, Harrisburg, PA 17108, Gerald A. Gorelick, MBA, MS, Gerald Gorelick & Associates, Inc., 3417 North Fourth Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110, and Suzanne G. Noll, MS, Intentional Futures, 1108 White Hall Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17110.
Sixty carefully selected people came from all parts of the state, different backgrounds, and various professions, for one purpose: to create a common vision for cancer control in Pennsylvania. What prompted this historic meeting? What were its outcomes? Since 1983, the PA Department of Health Cancer Control Program has created multi-year cancer control plans. In 2000, the Department decided to update its plan in line with CDC guidelines, Healthy People 2010 Pennsylvania, and the collective vision of a wide range of stakeholders. In November 2001, the Department sponsored a Future Search conference: “From Dialogue to Action: Joining Hands to Eliminate the burden of Cancer in Pennsylvania,” bringing together representatives of government, research institutions, health care delivery organizations, health care consumers (including cancer survivors), community based organizations, industry, health care providers, and community leaders. Conference outcomes included the identification of a commonly desired future and formulation of/commitment to specific action steps. The process led to an expansion of membership in a new statewide consortium (public/private partnership), which will monitor results and write the plan. As one participant said, “For the first time, we have a plan that belongs to Pennsylvania, not only to the Department of Health.” Future Search principles for effective planning are rooted in decades of social science research on whole system change in many settings. This presentation will focus on both the evolving content of PA’s plan, and the principles and process of Future Search itself.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Community Participation, System Involvement
Related Web page: www.futuresearch.net
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.