HPC and New Town Health Project on YouTube

This YouTube video demonstrates how the Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida lives and breathes one of our five Core Values: We conduct research with communities, not on or to communities.

New Town Success Zone has a long documented history of infrastructure neglect, slow or absent economic development and opportunities, and extensive environmental and public health disparities. New Town is located in a 90 block area (1600 residences) within the southern most section of zip code 32209. Despite its many businesses, education institutions, and faith-based assets, New Town has the highest poverty, infant mortality, diabetes mortality, and HIV/AIDS deaths rates in Duval County. Furthermore, residents living in 32209 over-utilize the three urban core emergency departments at alarming rates for avoidable non-emergency incidences as well as visits resulting from chronic disease complications.

In support of the New Town Success Zone, the Baptist Health Foundation applied and received funding from the Jessie Ball DuPont Fund to conduct a comprehensive healthcare needs assessment in the New Town area. Using a community-based participatory strategy, Baptist Health contracted with the Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida to develop and pilot the New Town Health Project to help determine the root causes of health disparities, obstacles in accessing care, and identifying gaps in the healthcare delivery system. This grass roots door-to-door healthcare needs assessment, conducted by New Town stakeholders, will enable the community to develop programs for ensuring quality health care delivery, information, and support tailored to the specific needs of New Town residents.

Goals:

The goals of the New Town Health Project are:

1. Mobilize the residents of New Town to form a New Town Healthcare Task Force

2. Build a trusting and culturally competent partnership between the residents of New Town Success Zone and the health care community

3. Collect comprehensive community level data by training Community Health Builders

4. Empower Community Health Builders to assist in survey and focus group development, administration, and understanding of the information

5. Share the results with New Town partnering organizations and decision makers

6. Engage the members of the New Town Healthcare Task Force to assist with the healthcare program development and execution

Students from Edward Waters College (EWC) and members of the New Town community went door-to-door talking to residents about the New Town Health Project kick-off event slated for December 5 from 2:00-4:00 at the Schell-Sweet Center on the campus of EWC. This YouTube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11LKojhvpCg) demonstrates how the Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida lives and breathes one of our five Core Values: We conduct research with communities, not on or to communities. We will continue to build upon this video diary of the New Town Health Project and will post our progress on our face book site and YouTube. Stay tuned!