Developed by McDowell County Reach Coalition Community Action Planning Committee

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

I. Vision -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 3

II.Mission Statement ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 3

 

III. Core Values ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 3

 

IV. Goals and Objectives ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 4

 

V. Organization Overview ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 6

 

 

Vision:

The McDowellCounty REACH Coalition vision is to eliminate diabetes-related health disparities among African Americans inMcDowellCounty.

 

Mission Statement:

Promoting healthy living by partnering with communities to improve quality of life for African Americans.

 

Core Values & Strengths:

 

The foundation of our organization is built on the following:

 

• A strong desire to help people;
• The ability to be open and honest;
• An understanding of the African American history inMcDowellCounty

 

The strengths in our community and our coalition are:

• The residents are educated;
• We have a friendly community;
• The seniors from the various townships are passionate about the county and its history.
• The targeted African American townships are close in proximity
• The community has a strongaccess to careenvironment.

 

The McDowell County REACH WV Coalition appointed a “Community Action Planning” committee that came together in September 2008 to define their goals and objectives in order to develop a community action plan. Two social determinants were identified as priority based on need and capacity and translated into to three goals.

 

Social Determinant Focus Areas:

1. Access to Care
2. Social Support Networks

 

Our Goals:

1. Develop partnerships with clinics and primary care physicians to devise a comprehensive prevention and intervention strategy to eliminate diabetes among African Americans in local townships.
2. Develop an approach for establishing support around social determinants of health and health related disparities.
3. To conduct a community assessment specific to African Americans inMcDowellCounty.

 

 Goal 1: Develop partnerships with clinics and primary care physicians to devise a comprehensive township prevention and intervention strategy to eliminate diabetes among African Americans. 

 

 Objective 1.1 – Establish workable relationship with the 3 local clinics in McDowell county over the next year.

 

 Strategies:

 

•  
  •  Visit the three clinic sites and physicians at hospitals in the six local townships to get permission to share REACH program.
  •  Conduct workshops among health professionals highlighting Diabetes and its impact on African Americans in the community
  •  Schedule forum to share research, resources, and African American needs relevant to diabetes prevention and how the coalition can support physicians.

 

Objective 1.2. – Host annual symposium for physicians and other health professionals to address the social determinants of health and cultural diversity withinMcDowellCounty.

 

 Strategies:

•  
  •  Offer Continuing Education credits to add value to doctors and increase likelihood of attendance.
  •  Work with Centers for Disease Control to develop curriculum and workshops around the social determinants of health.
  •  Locate pharmaceutical company interesting in sponsoring the event.

 

 Objective 1.3- Advocate for increased funding inMcDowellCounty through educating state and federal legislative officials.

 

Strategies: 

 

•  
  • Conduct lobby days at State & Federal Capitol buildings.
  • Set dates for office visits. 
  • Develop script and talking points to present to doctors.
  • Develop follow-up script.
  • Develop list of coalition members wilting to make visits to physicians.
  • Meet with coalition members to rehearse script.
  • Create database of interested doctors.  
  • Set event date for April 2009. 
  • Develop agenda for symposium. 
  • Develop partnership withMarshallUniversity and Tug River Health Association. 
  • Identify and call pharmaceutical companies.
  • Write sponsorship proposal.
  • Develop brochures and invitations
  • Contact CDC for support with workshops 
  • Identify counties and key leaders in West Virginia

Goal 2 –Develop approach for establishing support around social determinants of health and health related disparities.

 

Objective 2.1 – Reach 25% of churches in the 6 townships over the next year.

 

Strategies:

•  
  • Set up meetings with individual pastors in the various townships to share information on REACH.
  • Invite pastors to be a part of the REACH coalition

 

 Objective 2.2 – Educate 50% of church congregation on the effects and impact of Diabetes related diseases.

 

Strategies:

•  
  • Host quarterly meetings with church congregation.

 

 Objective 2.3 – Develop a social support network in one of the local townships. 

 

Strategies:

•  
  • Establish a walking group for seniors.  
  • Develop church database.
  • Identify which churches to target.
  • Schedule meeting with various groups
  • Develop flyers regarding meetings.
  • Work with church to schedule meeting dates.
  • Send out invitations.
  •  Develop press release and distribute to local media.
  • Identify seniors that are interested in walking.
  • Find convenient walking trail or location and set dates. 
  • Develop flyers and distribute in various locations.

 

Goal 3 –To conduct a community assessment specific to African Americans inMcDowellCounty.

 

Objective 3.1 – Collect data on 80% of the African American households inMcDowellCounty. 

 

Strategies: 

•  
  • Develop comprehensive survey tool.
  • Develop strategy for reaching African Americans and gathering data.
  • Provide incentives for survey completion.
  • Develop assessment protocols with Council of Southern Mountains
  • Define scope of community assessment