Health Improvement Priority List
Health Improvement Priority List
In 1999, after community meetings in each of the 6 major communities within Colfax County, over 50 health needs were identified. Then the available health data was reviewed. With all the available primary and secondary data on hand, the Colfax County Community Action Committee Health Council membership voted to focus on three priorities:
• The need for a local dialysis clinic.
• Youth substance abuse prevention including tobacco prevention.
• Teen pregnancy and the need for a County Maternal and Child Health Council.
As of this report, the three priorities mentioned above are considered complete and ongoing.
• The dialysis clinic opened in July of 2004.
• Colfax County has received funding the New Mexico Department of Health, Behavioral Health Services Division for the past three years for a youth substance abuse prevention program and funding is ongoing.
• Service Organization for Youth (SOY) has ongoing funding from the New Mexico Department of Health and TUPAC Program for a tri county tobacco prevention program. The counties included are Colfax, Union and Harding.
• The Colfax County Maternal and Child Health Council has received on going funding from the New Mexico Department of Health, Maternal and Child Health Bureau.
The CCCAC Health Council will continue to monitor and support the completed priorities to assure they continue to successfully address the needs the community originally identified.
In March of 2003, through community meetings and review of primary and secondary data, and review of the Local Public Health Assessment results, new priorities were selected for fy2004; Subcommittees (Community Action Teams) were formed. Action plans were developed to address the following priorities:
• In regards to chronic and infectious diseases: diabetes prevention and control including obesity as a risk factor and organ donation as a late stage intervention. (Organ donation was selected due to its logical connection with the dialysis clinic.)
• Maternal Child Health Goals: to develop a prevention program designed to decrease the number of births to teens; ensure that all pregnant women can be identified at the earliest date and make prenatal care available to them; assure identification and follow-up of high-risk mothers and infants; increase access to breastfeeding support; address the high incidence of child death rate in this county, including death resulting from child abuse and/or neglect; make family planning services accessible and available; promote participation of parents in prevention programs; work with Youth Substance Abuse Prevention program to address and reduce the use of substances by young people; and work with the Tri-County Cessation Coalition and Tobacco Use Prevention and Control (TUPAC) to reduce the use of tobacco products by county residents.
• In regards to Maternal and Child Health issues:
• the high rate of low-birth weight in Colfax County,
• continue to increase access to breastfeeding support,
• support the 2004 Immunization Registry Legislation,
• continue to decrease the teen pregnancy rate,
• child abuse/neglect prevention.
• In regards to chronic and infectious diseases issues:
• diabetes prevention and control including obesity as a risk factor and organ donation as a late stage intervention.
• The establishment of a detox/mental health safe bed will begin again in fiscal year 2005 (this is a previous priority that was put on hold in 2002).
Colfax County Community Action Committee Health Council will also establish Subcommittees for the following concerns:
• The high rate of Asthma, and
• The high suicide rate in Colfax County.
The CCCACHC Health Council is confident that the success demonstrated in addressing the original priorities, will carryover to the new priorities in the years to come.
MCH Committee Priorities
Health Improvement Priority #1 : Low Birth Weight Rate
Aim: Improve the health of newborn infants
Health Status Outcome: Decrease the number of low birth weight babies.
Strategies: Maternal and Child Health Program will work together with the TUPAC program to decrease tobacco use in pregnant women. Maternal and Child Health Program will work with the WIC program and the Families First program to increase early prenatal care.
Indicators: Decrease the number of low birth weight babies.
Activities: Provide and promote publicity that discourages pregnant women from smoking. Encourage restaurants in the county to become smoke free environments.
Activity Measure: Publicity and literature will be distributed.
*A community action team will be created to study the other possible causes of low birth weight in Colfax County.
Health Improvement Priority #2 : Breastfeeding
Aim: Improve the health of infants and young children.
Health Status Outcome: There will be more babies breastfed for the first 6-9 months of life.
Strategies: Lactation Specialists will begin working with pregnant women and new mothers to promote and support breastfeeding their babies.
Indicators: The Lactation Specialists will build a working caseload.
Activities: The Maternal and Child Health Coordinator will work with the Lactation Specialists to facilitate communication and network with the physicians, nurses, hospital staff and other providers.
Activity Measure: An increase in the number of infants who are breastfed.
Health Improvement Priority #3 : Status of the immunizations
Aim: To ensure that all children are immunized within the recognized timeline and those immunization records are maintained in a confidential and computerized registry.
Health Status Outcome: A registry will be setup to record immunizations of children in the county.
Strategies: Support the 2004 Immunization Registry Legislation
Indicators: As prescribed
Activities: CCMCHP and the Public Health Office will work with the NM Department of Health to set up an Immunization Registry in this area.
Activity Measure: there will be an increase in children with immunization records.
Health Improvement Priority #4 : Births to Teen Mothers
Aim: To continue the downward trend in teen pregnancy rate.
Health Status Outcome: Providers in Colfax County will work together to continue to decrease Teen Pregnancy.
Strategies: The Maternal and Child Health Coordinator will continue to support key providers such as the public school nurses; the school based health clinics in Raton and Maxwell and support other teen pregnancy prevention programs offered through local service providers such as Service Organization for Youth, physicians and other providers.
Indicators: Decrease in teen pregnancy rate.
Activity: 1. Curriculum will be identified that is being used at each school that addresses teen pregnancy and sex education (Who is providing it? how often? to whom? What gaps are left?).
Activity Measure: Meeting minutes
Activity: 2. Locate funding for the requested programs such as: “Baby Think it Over” for 12-to-14 year olds (middle-school age level) who will have a “real” experience of caring for a baby, through this program and thereby, encouraging some to intentionally postpone childbirth.
Activity Measure: purchase of appropriate programs.
Health Improvement Priority #5 : Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect
Aim: Improve the quality of life for families in Colfax County.
Health Status Outcome: Two trainings a year will be offered regarding child abuse and neglect, reporting laws and early warning signs..
Strategies: Train interested citizens including law enforcement, teachers, nurses and daycare providers on Child Abuse Issues.
Provide children with developmentally appropriate information to help them understand abuse issues and how to self-report to a trusted adult.
Indicators: Feedback from participants will be gathered. Specific evidence-base strategies have not been chosen, so the indicators are dependant upon the specified training used.
Activity 1: The Child Abuse Prevention committee will work toward finding training activities that provide evidence-based activities such as how to talk to children who are reporting abuse. Activity Measure: Feedback from participants.
Activity 2: Wallet size cards will be made for all members of law enforcement that include reporting information and how to access the Safe Interview Room.
Activity 3: Provide training videotapes to all schools on reporting laws.
Activity 4: Train Law Enforcement on reporting laws and Safe Interview Room usage.
Activity 5. Expand use of the Safe Interview Room to all child abuse cases.
Activity 6. Community wide media campaign to increase awareness of the warning signs of child abuse and the reporting laws.
Activity
Measure: An evident decrease in child abuse.
Health Improvement Priority #6 : Diabetes and Obesity
Aim: The sequela (conditions resulting from) Type II Diabetes and ultimately the prevalence of Type II Diabetes will be decreased.
Health Status Outcome: Residents will take proactive steps to decrease their chances of acquiring Type II Diabetes and patients with Diabetes will take proactive measures to control their Diabetes early.
Strategy 1: Increase the availability of screening and information regarding diabetes.
Indicators: Participant log.
Activities: Diabetes screening events will be held around the county. Information will be presented to attendees regarding the benefits of exercise and the available services related to Type II Diabetes.
Activity Measure: records regarding the number of normal vs. abnormal will be maintained. A minimum of 4 screening events will take place per year.
Strategy 2: Healthier lifestyles will be supported for those already diagnosed with Type II Diabetes.
Indicators: Feedback from participants of activities.
Activities: 1. The program Kitchen Creations will be presented through the Colfax County Cooperative Extension Office.
Activity Measure: at least 2 sessions will be conducted each year.
2. A community support group will be formed through the CCCAC Diabetes Community Action Team. A newsletter will be created through the support group to inform and encourage participants.
Activity Measure: Number of Participants.
Additional work of the committee to be accomplished:
The committee will continue to look for evidence-based activities that will help decrease obesity in the community, such as working with the school districts on teaching nutrition in a meaningful way.
Health Improvement Priority #7 : Detox/Mental Health Safe Bed
The establishment of a detox/mental health safe bed will begin again in fiscal year 2005 (this is a previous priority that had been put on hold).
Aim: To provide an appropriate location for patients in need of detox or mental health safe-bed facility.
Health Status Outcome: To decrease the number of identified patients in Miner's Colfax Medical Center or Colfax County Detention Center.
A Subcommittee (Community Action Committee) will be formed to complete this goal.
Health Improvement Priority #8 : Asthma
Aim: To improve the health of the citizens of Colfax County.
Health Status Outcome: To decrease the number of asthma hospitalizations by 2006.
Strategy: Establish a subcommittee (Community Action Team) to study this concern. Establish a support group.
Health Improvement Priority #9 : Suicide
Aims: To improve the quality of life for residents of Colfax County
Health Status Outcome: To decrease the number of suicide victims.
Strategy: Establish a subcommittee (Community Action Team) to study this concern.