Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #104761

James H. Hines, BS MA and Denese R. Stallings, RN BS MA. Cleveland County Health Department, 315 Grover street, Shelby, NC 28150, 704 484-5241, jimmy.hines@clevelandcounty.com

Cleveland County,North Carolina, population 97,548,County seat,Shelby.Cleveland County located between Charlotte, NC and the Greenville-Spartanburg area of South Carlolina is recognized for its family-oriented lifestyle,small town charm and Southern festival atmosphere.Until recently, obesity was not part of our typical community description but an assertive local health director, innovative health promotion team, and a Board of Health ready to lead introduced Cleveland County residents to a word they could see but usually denied.Cleveland County is fortunate to have a public health director that sees problems, as challenges and opportunities.The Board of Health was challenged by the health director to address the childhood obesity issue in the county.The Board took action and appointed a Task Force on preventing and reducing childhood obesity. The Task Force mission was to develop a strategic plan to address the childhood obesity issue. The timetable was one year. Twenty one community leaders were appointed including physicians, elected officials, school superintendents,other community leaders and even the owner of McDonald franchises.The health promotion director was asked to facilitate the process.The task force decided to use the reliabe Public Health Model to attack the problem.Agent,host and evironment became familiar terms to the task force membership. The task force met every month for one year. The task force worked by committees and developed a matrix that focused on environmental change and policy strategies to prevent and reduce chilhood obesity. Community input was utilized through surveys and focus groups.The final report was presented to the Board of Health and Board of County Commissioners. During the process of developing the strategic plan the health department submitted a request for funds to implement the task force strategic plan to the Health and Wellness Trust Fund Commission of NC. The Task Force was rewarded for its planning and hard work by receiving a three year $450,000 dollar grant.The plan of action is now being implemented in Cleveland County. The success is truly owned by the communty, because of their involvement from the beginning but more importantly, they are part of the solution; actually they're the ultimate solution to preventing childhood obesity in Cleveland County.

Learning Objectives:

• The learner will understand the role and duties for providing public health leadership by the Board of Health and its staff in developing a strategic plan to prevent and reduce childhood obesity.
• The learner will understand the dynamics of community collaboration in creating awareness, advocacy and action to prevent and reduce childhood obesity.
• The learner will understand the benefits community collaboration and planning have in receiving grant funding.

Keywords: Challenges and Opportunities, Community Collaboration

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.