BIDDEFORD — Stakeholders from across York County will be given an opportunity next week to shape priorities for community health at a special forum aimed at providing input to the region’s health care organizations.
The unique forums will discuss the York County Health Profile and is scheduled for Sept. 27, 2018, at two locations. One forum will be from 9 to 11 a.m. at York County Community College in Wells and the other runs from 3 to 5 p.m. at Saco City Hall.
The York County Health Profile contains almost 200 data points that describe health outcomes, health behaviors, health care access and quality, and the social, community, and physical environment that affect our health. Previous forums were held similar to this in 2011 and 2015.
“We want to share this data and get our neighbors’ input about what they see as our biggest health issues,” said Betsy Kelly of Southern Maine Health Care. “New this year, the presentation will also include a list of past priorities and what our partners have been doing to address them. This is an exciting opportunity to discuss how we can improve the health of our community.”
The forum events are free and open to the public. To reserve a seat, register online at www.surveymonkey.com/ r/YorkForum
In addition to collecting input on local health priorities, the forum will also collect information about local resources that could help to address those priorities.
Forums and other community feedback will be used as guidance to create new, county-specific health improvement plans in the spring of 2019. As in the past, this forum is an important step in the Maine Shared Community Health Needs Assessment.
The Maine Shared CHNA process will roll out in three stages:
• County Health Profiles were released in the first week of September 2018
• Forums and other outreach are scheduled to be held between September 2018 and January 2019. This includes additional community presentations, conversations and other input.
• Final CHNA reports are scheduled to be released in March 2019. These reports will include the County Health Profiles with a summary of the findings and other outreach.
For more information about the forums , go to the Maine Shared CHNA website (www.mainechna.org). The site contains forum schedules, local contacts, County Health Profiles, and a portal for users to create their own data reports to suit their needs. The website will also host the final CHNA reports due out in March, 2019. Check back often for updates.
These forums are a collaborative effort between Southern Maine Health Care, York Hospital and York District Public Health.
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