141st APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

292072
Collaboration as an approach to improving community health, including the health of veterans


Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Rebecca Ledsky, MBA, Social Marketing and Communication, FHI 360, Washington, DC
Troy Knighton, Ed.S., LPC, Office of Public Health (10P3b), VA, Washington, DC
Lisa Tensuan, RN, Social Marketing and Communication, FHI 360, Washington, DC
Derek Inokuchi, MHS, CHES, Social Marketing and Communication, FHI 360, Washington, DC
Kristina Olson, MPH, Social Marketing and Communication, FHI 360, Washington
Jesse Gelwicks, MPH, Social Marketing and Communication, FHI 360, Washington, DC
Veterans Health Administration (VHA) maintains a strong commitment to the well-being of the veterans they serve. VHA facilities operate in the context of the communities where they are situated and the health of veterans is often connected to the health of their family and-or caregiver, typically receiving care in the community. This session will present findings about collaboration efforts and opportunities between VHA medical facilities, Local-Health-Departments (LHDs)/CBOs and local healthcare systems that improve community health. Information collected through semi-structured-discussions with staff at 15 geographically-dispersed VHA facilities and LHDs /CBOs in 4 communities focused on collaborations around influenza and other vaccinations as well as on addressing the needs of the homeless. Selection criteria included size and urbanicity. Size, personal connections, and organizational-culture were related to VHA-initiated collaboration. LHDs frequently did not consider VHA for collaboration. Conclusions/Recommendations will include approaches successfully used as well as the discussion of tools to promote collaboration.

Learning Areas:

Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Program planning
Protection of the public in relation to communicable diseases including prevention or control
Provision of health care to the public
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Describe how relationships can foster collaborations between healthcare entities within a defined community Articulate best practices for effective collaborations pertaining to emergency planning, homeless population management and influenza vaccinations Summarize the benefits of collaborations for continuity of care for patients and Veterans within defined communities

Keyword(s): Community Collaboration, Veterans' Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have 20 years experience in health and public health research and evaluation with much of it focused on health systems and collaboration. I have been working on emergency preparedness and collaboration projects projects with the VA Office of Public Health for over 4 years.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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