From staff reports
The Galveston Daily News
Published February 09, 2004

La Marque — A strategic health plan developed over the past nine months by the Galveston County Health District was recently adopted by the two boards that have oversight of the district’s policies.

The plan provides specific goals in eight different areas, and objectives for reaching the goals.

Officials said they hoped the initiative would identify directions and improvements necessary to meet the changing health needs of Galveston County.

Since an original planning session conducted in May, many other activities have been held to bring the final Strategic Health Plan together. Planning summits focusing on immunizations and environmental health issues were held at the district. District staff met with local officials including both county commissioners and member city councils. Presentations of the draft health priorities and the plan were also made at many community organizations that have a shared interest in the health of Galveston County.

The plan contains the following priorities:

• Public awareness — Prevention through public awareness activities targeted towards issues such as obesity, fitness, nutrition, tobacco cessation, childhood immunizations, oral health and disease reporting.
• Access to care and health disparities — Identify and eliminate barriers which contribute to health disparities such as cultural/language, inequitable access to health care, transportation, and the lack of a coordinated indigent health care system’s ability to pay.
• Business improvement — Improve public health system and business practices in order to recruit and retain competent public health employees to increase access to technologies which will improve efficiency, to improve training programs, to improve internal and external communications to be prepared for public health disasters/emergencies, and to comply with legal responsibilities.
• Health care financing — Improve health care financing in order to avoid loss of revenue from Medicaid, to finance medications and indigent health care, and to increase medical reimbursements in the clinic.
• Management of chronic conditions — Improve management of chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, asthma and depression.
• Environmental health improvement — Address environmental issues involving air, water and food to include aspects of wastewater management, enforcement, bacterial contaminations, animal control violations, toxic substances monitoring and conservation of natural resources.
• Senior Health Improvement — Address senior health issues such as isolation, social needs, health care, legal, transportation and housing.
• Prevention through immunizations — Immunize children and adults to prevent infectious diseases.

The plan will be used as a tool for improving the health of Galveston County over the next seven years. During the seven years, regular updates will be provided to both boards, and an annual report will be prepared and made available to the public.

Detailed health district goals and objectives can be reviewed at: www.gchd.org.

To view the above press release click here

For More Information Contact:
Kurt Koopmann
Public Information Officer
Galveston County Health District
(409) 938-2211
kkoopman@gchd.org