Countywide Collaboration Helps Escalate Overall Well-Being of Residents
ABOVE VIDEO: The Florida Department of Health in Brevard County recognizes the value in measuring health outcomes and Wednesday acknowledged the 2016 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps tool released by the University of Wisconsin and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – The Florida Department of Health in Brevard County recognizes the value in measuring health outcomes and Wednesday acknowledged the 2016 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps tool released by the University of Wisconsin and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
This study highlights the many community factors that influence health and uses established data, much of which is available from the department at floridacharts.com.
“Brevard County is fortunate to have many community partners who work together to improve the health and wellness of Brevard citizens,” said DOH-Brevard Interim Administrator Miranda Hawker.
Miranda Hawker
“These collaborative efforts have made Brevard County a better place to live, learn, work and play as is evidenced by our improved ranking.”
These rankings are a snapshot of the health of counties across the country and they emphasize that health is not a singular effort but a combined work in progress across all community partners.
The department works in collaboration with local governments, nonprofit organizations, health care facilities, business groups, schools, faith-based organizations and many other stakeholders to improve the health of all people in Brevard County. These rankings use data related to physical environments, social and economic factors, health behaviors and clinical care.
In Brevard County, the Community Health Improvement Plan is designed to address specific opportunities for improved health that have been identified by the community.
The department has partnered with many stakeholders to implement the CHIP and collaborates regularly to track progress.
Obesity is a priority and DOH-Brevard, in partnership with more than 30 agencies, has created the Healthiest Weight Brevard Community Forum in conjunction with the Healthiest Weight Florida initiative. The forum is addressing the obesity epidemic in Brevard County and 2016 County Health Rankings reveals the weight curve is bending in the right direction.
Jennifer Schwalb Floyd
“The Healthy Start Coalition works closely with the Florida Department of Health in Brevard County on many different topics. Most recently, the health department asked the coalition to collaborate with them on reducing infant mortality,” said Healthy Start Coalition of Brevard Executive Director Jennifer Schwalb Floyd.
“With the team of very caring and dedicated staff members from the county health department and the many community partners, I am confident we can continue to make a difference.”
“The Space Coast Health Foundation is pleased to partner with the Florida Department of Health in Brevard County and several other health providers in our community, such as Brevard Health Alliance, Space Coast Volunteers in Medicine and the hospitals to leverage limited resources and improve the health of our community. By focusing on access to health care, oral health and behavioral health, we are chipping away at health issues and making Brevard County a healthier community.”
Last week, the Florida Department of Health became the first integrated department of health in the nation to achieve national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board.
Public health departments play a critical role in protecting and improving the health of people and communities. The seal of accreditation signifies that the Florida Department of Health has been rigorously examined and meets or exceeds national standards that promote continuous quality improvement for public health.
