Collaborating to Sustain a Healthy Community January 28, 2015

The Steering Committee Retreat, 1/7/15 – Debbie Bundy Carpenter, Chair (VA Department of Health) – Anna Leavitt (CAPSAW) – Erin Botkin (VCSB) – Margaret Hersh (Augusta Regional Clinic) – Charlie Downs (Waynesboro Senior Center Local Council) – Janice Gentry (VPAS) – Kara Meeks (Augusta Health Community Outreach) – Rhonda Clifton, Administrative Support (Augusta Health Community Outreach) We reviewed the Mission, Vision, Values, Function, and the Strategic Plan of the Community Health Forum.

Steering Committee Represents key service providers in the community. Responsible for the development of the strategic plan with specific goals, objectives, and strategies defined to address the overall mission/vision of the Forum. Operational and Financial Support (food, etc.) provided by Augusta Health Community Outreach Our structure is Informal No by-laws No membership dues.

The Augusta Community Health Forum is a catalyst for promoting collaborative, active partnerships to sustain a healthy community in the greater Augusta Region.

The Augusta Community Health Forum empowers the greater Augusta region to achieve its optimal state of health.

Collectively determine community needs for health and human services including gaps and duplication in services. Facilitate discussion and educate community about available services and develop plans to identify and address needs, gaps, and duplication of services.

Facilitate communication among Forum participants and with other members of the community. Provide leadership to establish and maintain an electronic directory of all organizations OR individuals providing health and human services and a website that contains pertinent information about the Forum and its work.

What does this mean in the context of our current mission and vision? Membership input is needed regarding our strategies.

Goal 1: Provide leadership to assist member agencies with partnerships and collaboration to address the community’s most pressing health needs. Objective 1: Engage key participants from the community. Strategies: Identify and invite specific agency, faith, and public service leaders. Enhance marketing efforts to better reflect the mission and role of the Forum and its participants.

Objective 2: Strengthen the intraforum communication system. Strategies: Facilitate communication amongst Forum members via the web site and by displaying contact information with all announcements and speakers. Limit # of presentations and instead provide time for business/collaboration during each meeting.

Goal 2: Identify community physical and mental health needs through a comprehensive community data collection process and review and communicate findings. Objective 1: Gather and evaluate census and community health data to determine gaps in data and in community needs.

Strategies: Continue to survey forum members. Assimilate other assessment data – YRBS, Transportation, etc. Provide appropriate data/information to the larger Community Health Needs Assessment. Report the general assessment findings to the Forum membership.

Announcements and Introductions Announcements should be ed to Rhonda Clifton BEFORE the meeting so she can create a handout. NOTE- in announcements, include all contact information If you have specific flyers/brochures, these can be brought to the meeting and distributed to interested parties. Funding Opportunities Feature a slide w/ available grants, etc. at each meeting Business of the Forum Time for collaborative relationships to form and for groups to work together.

Education limited to 1 OR 2 speakers per meeting Topics relevant to MOST all participants. *Some possible topics ideas: Social Media Strategies Creating a Collaborative Culture ROMA Follow-Up or Part 2 Evaluating Success– Developing and Measuring Outcomes. *Ideas for Speakers: Local Social Media Experts MBC or JMU Professors CNE – Charlottesville (Cost $) *See Next Slide

**You will all be receiving a survey via Survey Monkey to provide the steering committee with your ideas for: Presentation topics Possible speakers Menus This is YOUR Community Forum!

Augusta Community Forum Health Organizations Faith Communities BusinessSchools Community and Cultural Organizations GovernmentMedia Law Enforcement There is great benefit in having a diverse group of agencies & individuals collaborating and partnering around a common goal. Who needs to be here?

What is the benefit of joining the Forum? What is our message? What should we be saying to others as we invite them to attend? Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success. --Henry Ford

Wellness: A healthy balance of the mind, body, and spirit that results in an overall feeling of well-being. 6 Dimensions of Wellness Emotional, Occupational, Physical, Social, Intellectual, Spiritual Working with others can offer opportunities to: deliver new, improved or more integrated services make efficiency savings through sharing costs develop a stronger, more united voice share knowledge and information.

Bring someone with you to the March meeting who you think might benefit from the Forum. **Remember to ponder the full scope of wellness and who may not yet be at the table.

Next Steering Committee Meeting: March 4, 2015 at 9:00 AM in the Augusta Community Care Building (Room 2) Next Community Forum Meeting: March 25, 2015 at 11:30 AM in the Augusta Community Care Building (Rooms 2 & 3)