About Health Action

Background

In August 2007, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors authorized the Department of Health Services to convene a health action council (now called "Health Action") to work on improving health and health care for all Sonoma County residents. Health Action's over-arching mission is community health improvement. Building on the interest and commitment of many community leaders, the Department of Health Services has recruited and convened a diverse, multidisciplinary group to identify priority health and health care issues and to develop specific recommendations on local approaches to promote the health of our community and improve the health care delivery system.

Since its inception in 2007, Health Action has assessed data on health issues impacting Sonoma County, created a shared vision for community health improvement that is based on the multiple determinants of health, developed criteria for focusing its efforts, developed an initial set of health improvement strategies, received input on these strategies from the community, and has begun the process of developing implementation plans. Health Action members and partners engaged through the planning and community outreach process will are working together to create the agreements and secure the resources necessary to implement specific health improvement projects beginning in the spring of 2009.

Mission and Focus

To achieve its mission of community health improvement, Health Action addresses pressing health and health care issues through the dual focus of community health and health care delivery system improvement. In developing its recommendations, Health Action has explored barriers to health in Sonoma County and has identified strategic opportunities to create systemic improvements in community health.

Health Action's focus on community health improvement reflects the recognition that, while access to health care is an important contributor to community health, other determinants include individual behaviors and choices and the impacts of our workplaces, schools and neighborhoods on those choices and behaviors.

For these reasons, the goals of Health Action are to:

• Engage a broad spectrum of stakeholders in a community dialogue on health improvement;
• Enrich the collective understanding of local health and health care issues and solutions;
• Create a shared vision for community health improvement that is based on the multiple determinants of health, such as individual behaviors, cultural beliefs and practices, environmental and socio-economic factors;
• Develop and implement collaborative recommendations to promote and protect community health and improve the local health care delivery system.

Key Milestones

• October 2007: Convene Health Action and establish task force structures.
• October 2007 - June 2008: Collaborative learning and dialogue to build consensus on priority issues and begin development of recommendations.
• Summer 2008: Community meetings to present Health Action findings and preliminary recommendations and gather public feedback.
• Fall 2008: Present recommendations to the Board and begin implementation planning.
• Spring 2009: Complete implementation planning, present action plans to the Board, and assemble task groups to implement and monitor progress on action plans.
• Fall 2009: Report progress to the Board; evaluate the effectiveness and accomplishments of Health Action and determine its continued role.

Membership and Structure

Health Action is co-chaired by Sonoma County Supervisor Valerie Brown and the County Health Services Director, Rita Scardaci. Health Action members were appointed by the Health Services Director and include representatives from the physician community, hospital and health maintenance organizations, community clinics, the County Public Health Officer, local employers, local governments, labor organizations, community-based organizations, and consumer advocates. Approximately 35 members, selected for their demonstrated leadership and expertise, have agreed to participate for an initial two-year term. Membership is configured to balance the interests of the community's diverse stakeholder groups and to reflect the county's geographic and ethnic diversity.

Recognizing that many members of the community may be interested and will have valuable expertise and insight to contribute, Health Action utilizes an "open" task force structure. This structure allows for broader participation by interested community members on the various Health Action task forces and work groups. Individuals with background or expertise in selected issue areas who wish to participate may contact Ellen Bauer at ebauer@sonoma-county.org or (707)565-6684. All Health Action meetings are open to the public. Information on meeting times and locations are posted on the Health Action website.