Assessing and Improving Community Health in Wisconsin
Beloit Memorial Hospital
Implementation Approaches
Goal: Increase community engagement from all sectors to enhance behavioral health outcomes.
Objective: 25% of municipalities will work to implement policy, systems, and environmental change to address local alcohol-related problems.
Suggested Strategies:
For Organizations:
- Create a culture of openness.
- Reduce the stigma associated with seeking help for substance abuse.
For Communities:
- Encourage community festivals to adopt sober server requirements.
- Support limiting retail availability at community festivals and events.
- Reduce youth exposure to alcohol advertising throughout Rock County.
Goal: Advance overall community health to improve health outcomes associated with obesity.
Objective #1: 10 new sites will provide increased access to healthy and affordable foods (i.e. fruits, veggies, whole grains).
Objective #2: Increase to 5 new sites offering physical activity opportunities that are welcoming for people with limited resources
Objective #3: Increase or establish 20 sites with wellness procedures and policies.
Suggested Strategies:
For Organizations:
- Establish a wellness program.
- Provide healthy choices at staff gatherings.
- Encourage physical activity breaks.
For Communities:
- Support programs that make healthy foods more accessible and affordable, including Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Program (WIC) and Farmers’ Market.
- Support mixed-use neighborhood design with public transit that encourage walking or bicycling.
- Establish safe routes to walk to school and places to play outdoors.
Goal: Increase community engagement from all sectors to enhance behavioral health outcomes.
Objective: Increase the number of providers offering Medication Assisted Treatment (the use of medications, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies) by 25% to provide a holistic approach to the treatment of substance use disorders.
Suggested Strategies:
For Organizations:
- Create a culture of openness.
- Reduce the stigma associated with seeking help for substance abuse.
Goal: Increase community engagement from all sectors to enhance behavioral health outcomes.
Objective: Decrease the number of pregnant women smoking to 15%.
Suggested Strategies:
For Organizations:
- Create a culture of openness.
- Establish smoke free workplace policies.
Goal: Advance overall community health to improve oral health outcomes.
Objective #1: Increase in the number of children who have seen a dentist at or before 2 years old.
Objective #2: Increase in adults with a dental home.
Objective #3: Reduction in oral health related emergencies.
Suggested strategies:
For Organizations:
- Offer dental insurance plans for employees & families.
Communities:
- Support school-based dental sealant programs.
- Support dentists providing dental services to Medicaid recipients.
Health Equity
Goal: Reduce disparities and improve health outcomes across populations and communities throughout Rock County.
Objective #1: 50 providers will have a process in place to ensure culturally responsive care.
Objective #2: 5 healthcare facilities will have a process in place to improve health literacy.
Suggested strategies:
For Organizations:
- Target investments toward communities and organizations that address the needs of vulnerable populations.
- Integrate cultural competency into programs, policies, and practices to ensure the delivery of culturally and linguistically appropriate care.
- Conduct targeted outreach and provide technical assistance to underserved communities experiencing health disparities.
For Communities and Systems:
- Work to build trust within your community.
- Create and foster schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods that are inclusive and reduce social isolation.
- Improve economic and housing opportunities in neighborhood
Goal: Increase community engagement from all sectors to enhance behavioral health outcomes.
Objective #1: 25% of municipalities will work to implement policy, systems, and environmental change to address local alcohol-related problems.
Objective #2: Decrease the number of pregnant women smoking to 15%.
Objective #3: Increase the number of providers offering Medication Assisted Treatment (the use of medications, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies) by 25% to provide a holistic approach to the treatment of substance use disorders.
Suggested Strategies:
For Organizations:
- Create a culture of openness.
- Reduce the stigma associated with seeking help for substance abuse.
- Establish smoke free workplace policies.
For Communities:
- Encourage community festivals to adopt sober server requirements.
- Support limiting retail availability at community festivals and events.
- Reduce youth exposure to alcohol advertising throughout Rock County.
Oral Health
Goal: Advance overall community health to improve oral health outcomes.
Objective #1: Increase in the number of children who have seen a dentist at or before 2 years old.
Objective #2: Increase in adults with a dental home.
Objective #3: Reduction in oral health related emergencies.
Suggested strategies:
For Organizations:
- Offer dental insurance plans for employees & families.
- Establish workplace policies that accommodate time off for dental appointments.
- Replace sugar-sweetened beverages with healthier alternatives, such as sparkling waters, flavor-infused waters and teas, coconut waters, and unsweetened teas.
Communities:
- Support community water fluoridation.
- Support school-based dental sealant programs.
- Support dentists providing dental services to Medicaid recipients.