Wrong Pocket

One more lesson learned from several current teams (a couple in Nebraska and one in North Carolina): it is hard to create a sustainable wellness program.

I think a key reason is the "wrong pocket" issue: the dollar saved by preventing disease does not necessarily return to the pocket of the person who spent the dollar on wellness. This makes it a challenge to sell wellness programs to customers.

Three teams are working hard to figure out how to make it work-- what are the wellness services that can be offered, to whom, such that the health department does not go broke, customers are pleased, and the community as a whole winds up healthier in five years?

Would love to hear your comments and suggestions...

--Stephen Orton

Back in Nebraska

Reflections on my latest trip to Nebraska, where five new teams started writing business plans last week.

•  Nebraska public health folks are really well networked in their communities. These five teams include representatives from the YMCA, school systems, a non-profit doing youth development, multiple hospitals, extension service, a board of health, and a rep from the Chamber of Commerce. 
•  Nebraska communities do a good job on their CHA process as a result of their strong networks, and people involved in Community Health Assessment work (especially partners) are ready to get down to action. For the more action-oriented, it is a huge relief to get down to the specifics of *what we're going to do* in response to the data and the priorities. 
• If you have a good CHA, you are ready to write a business plan. These Nebraska teams clearly have the data they need (or they know where to find it). And they have committed partners - even more committed now than they were before!
• If you spend time driving in Nebraska, you may come to believe that your GPS is broken, because it displays a single straight line in the middle of the screen for long stretches of time. It isn't a malfunction, it's just I-80. 
• Nebraska demographical fact: five cows for every person. North Carolina fact: three turkeys for every person.

Next session: next week in Asheville! I'll be watching for turkeys.

-- Stephen Orton

Model Practices

I've written before about a team from the Cumberland Plateau district in Virginia -- they wrote a business plan for mass flu vaccination in schools in Tazewell and Russell Counties. Took a few years, but they finally got the pilot completed, and the pilot worked, and they expanded.

Yadda yadda yadda, things progressed, Flu's Clues is now Flu-a-gator, and the team won a "Model Practice" award from NACCHO for the projectd. I hope you will read about the award and the team's implementation here: http://bit.ly/IRZ3Tm

Congratulations (belatedly) to the whole team, especially Kathy Hypes, who always stays in touch on their doings. You've been a model for many other health departments who are trying to build on your success!

--Stephen Orton

Graduates in the news...

Congrats Pat Townley on your retirement-- so proud to number you among the graduates of the Management Academy!

Pat got a lovely write-up in her local paper in Rome, Georgia:

http://romenews-tribune.com/view/full_story/16938884/article-Townley%E2%80%99s-legacy-as-public-health-advocate--nurse-manager-honored?instance=home_news