Recorded presentation

Heather M. Dillard, MPH¹, Michael R.J. Felix², James N. Burdine, Dr PH³, Samih A. Hasan¹, Danielle S. Phillips¹, Angie L. Alaniz¹, and Monica L. Wendel, MA, MPH³. (1) Community Health Development Program, School of Rural Public Health, 1103 University Drive East, Suite 100, College Station, TX 77840, 979-845-6953, hmdillard@srph.tamushsc.edu, (2) Michael Felix and Associates, Walburt Ave, Allentown, PA 77802, (3) Community Health Development Program, School of Rural Public Health, Texas A&M University, 1103 University Drive, Suite 100, College Station, TX 77840

Lack of coordination among service providers resulting in poor utilization of resources and inadequate access to services is a major contributor to the nation’s current health problems. The Community Health Development Program (CHD) at the School of Rural Public Health is working with rural communities in Central and South Texas to facilitate local health networks to overcome the current burdens placed on local healthcare delivery systems. CHD is utilizing a learning-based approach with local community partnerships to develop an integrated local health network among community leaders and has delivered this program in three rural communities. Although its strength lies in its ability to adapt to the given community and its needs, the curriculum is focused on the idea of creating and building local health networks. This approach contains subtleties of strategic and health planning but also includes a focus on social determinants of health relative to the local community. Sessions include discussion, examples from other communities, and practical application of ideas to the local community around the what, why and how a community health network operates and the forces impacting communities. The approach is aimed at producing an environment in which local leaders look outside their own interests and understand the various factors inside and outside the community that have an impact on their local agency or organization. The endpoint of the learning communities is a partnership that has developed a strategic plan for implementing a health network in their community, with the first steps having already been taken.

Learning Objectives:

• 1) List the basic components of the learning community approach
• 2) Describe challenges one may face in adapting the curriculum to their local community
• 3) Articulate how and why building local health networks is so important

Keywords: Partnerships, Community Development

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.

Recorded presentation