HEALTHY DELTA INITIATIVE
One key to economic development in the Delta Region is assuring that industries investing operations in the area have a productive, healthy workforce. But how do we know that the local workforce is healthy? How do we improve the health if it is, indeed, not good? How do we know that we can compete with other counties, states, and regions based on the availability of capable, fit, energetic individuals that consistently show up for work, produce and create value for the firm and for the region?
These questions were considered by a group of researchers convened in Memphis in September 2008 by Delta Regional Authority leadership. The group consisted of Dr. Teresa Waters of the University of Tennessee Health System, Dr. Eric Baumgartner from the Louisiana Public Health Institute, and Dr. J.M. “Mickey” Trimm from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Federal Co-Chairman Pete Johnson challenged the group to consider the health and health-care of the region’s workforce. The meeting and subsequent work on this project was directed by Bill Triplett, Senior Advisor to the Federal Co-Chairman.
Over the next nine months the group led a team of researchers in conducting investigations into the extent of information on health in the region. The group found that there is incomplete and un-compiled data on the health of the citizens of the region. They also discovered that there are large disparities between the collected health information in the eight states of the region. The group also discovered that there are very successful programs being conducted in communities within the region.
The group undertook a Scope of Work that included gathering data from the region, analyzing existing research on the nature of a healthy workforce, interviewing regional authorities regarding the health of the population and identifying programs that currently address health problems.
The study group assembled an Excel database for all 252 counties in 8 states that combines existing relevant indicators taken from CHSI, US Census, ESRI, and reports written by the Public Health Departments of each state. Additional county-level information needs were identified. Examples of the county reports are included.
The group also developed a comprehensive review of the literature examining the link between specific measures of health and economic development to wellness and health education programs. Using the collected data the group has also proposed a model that suggests relationships between the health of the workforce and other community resources and possible “key economic drivers”. This model can be used for future research and exploration into the relationship of health and economic development in communities.
The use of GIS techniques to pin-point “hot spots” was explored. Graphical interpretations of health data offer potential for easily identifying problem areas and communicating the problems to others. Examples are included in this report.
The group identified and compiled county/parish level interventions and effectiveness measures that have been successful at improving some health measures. These approaches can demonstrate to local communities and community groups and businesses how they may produce positive outcomes for improving community health as measured by the health indicators that were collected.
Finally, the group provided recommendations for continued efforts by the Delta Regional Authority to improve information, consolidate health improvement efforts and to provide resources for community efforts to develop the health of their workforce and citizens.
The development of the recommendations was finalized at a meeting with the DRA Health Advisory Committee on July 14, 2009 in Memphis. The recommendations were presented and approved by the Delta Regional Authority Board of Directors at its meeting in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, in August, 2009.
The recommendations were:
- That the Delta Regional Authority institute a grant program, similar to its Federal Grants Program, to fund health initiatives throughout the region. These grants would be administered and reviewed in a similar fashion to the Federal Grants Program with the similar expectation of proven outcomes.
- DRA should compile and produce County Data Reports on its web site for universal access to the information. Ongoing updates will be required as well as continual efforts to improve the quality of the data.
- Additional follow up work beyond the scope of the original study has emerged during the course of the investigation. The following activities will be beneficial in furthering current efforts and provide DRA with better long-term health for the communities.
- DRA should take the lead in coordinating a meeting of state organizations that currently produce health data with the purpose of improving, standardizing, and improving the quality of the data available. DRA should work with these groups to identify additional information that is currently not being captured but that could be of extreme value in assessing the health and wellness of its workforce and other populations.
- DRA needs to set up a mechanism to collect and disseminate the Tool Kit programs, best practices and benchmarks using its web site.
- DRA should use its reputation as a successful convener of disparate groups to pull together rural health organizations for the purpose of establishing stronger links and mutual goals and objectives while reducing duplication and fragmentation in local efforts.
- DRA should convene operatives from federal and other governmental programs such as HRSA, USDA, and state health planning agencies to strengthen funding support and assure that local groups and organizations are connected to all resources available. DRA can provide information from these funding sources on its web site.
- Technical assistance for establishing and operating health programs should be established through a partnership with the HRSA Office of Rural Health Policy, the USDA agricultural agents, or other programs.
- The Delta Regional Authority Leadership Institute should incorporate mechanisms to help communities and their leaders undertake the projects and activities identified in the Tool Kit. This should include education into the availability and use of information that will be made available on the DRA web site and other resources that are available for health and wellness promotion.
- As part of the effort to establish health information on the DRA web site the DRA should establish a “Wikipedia-type system” for allowing citizens to contribute information regarding health programs and other information that could be valuable in the region. We further recommend that social networking systems be used for sharing health and wellness related information.
- DRA should organize regional and sub-regional healthy workforce discussion groups leading to sustainable coalitions of networked stakeholders to encourage local organizations, businesses, faith-based groups, and others to share experiences in past activities and ideas for future implementations.
- The Health Advisory Committee charter should be extended and that the Committee should be charged with determining the resources necessary to fulfill these recommendations and overseeing the activities that need to further health and wellness activities in the region.
- Finally, based on the experience with this project, we recommend that the Health Advisory Committee use in-Delta resources when seeking the resources to undertake these activities. We strongly recommend that the resources of the many educational institutions within the Delta be considered when marshalling these resources.