In 2007, the Blair County Human Services Office and the United Way invited other key community leaders to join and support an effort to conduct a countywide needs assessment. The purpose of the assessment was to identify community assets, identify targeted needs, and develop an action plan to fill those needs.
The report, Blair County Profile: Our Strengths, Challenges, and Issues was the most complete analysis to date looking at crime, alcohol and other drug abuse, economic, and healthcare issues affecting County residents. Our most recent needs assessment report, Blair County Profile II, includes goals and strategies to address many of these challenges that we’re still facing.
Since the beginning of 2012, when all non-profit hospitals were required by the Affordable Care Act to conduct a community health needs assessment and to develop an intervention plan to meet those community health needs, we have completed four additional needs assessments. Those reports are located under our needs assessment tab.
The Healthy Blair County Coalition (HBCC) is a partnership of local individuals and organizations working to promote the social, economic, emotional, and physical well-being of our community. The Steering Committee collaborates with a broader group of community stakeholders on whom the community decisions would have an impact, who had an interest in the effort, who represented diverse sectors of the community, and who were likely to be involved in developing and implementing strategies and activities. Currently, there are 188 community partners who represent individuals and organizations such as social services, government, planning, public health, education, hospitals, community foundations, healthcare providers/behavioral health, businesses, economic development, criminal justice, libraries, drug and alcohol, health insurance/managed care, media, recreation, etc. These community partners have contributed by participating in the needs assessment, attending meetings, joining work groups and committees, funding and sponsorships, promotion of HBCC, and/or participating/sponsoring programs and activities that support the strategies identified in the community health needs assessment.
Our work groups and committees meet regularly to address the challenges and issues that were identified in the needs assessment in order to create a healthier community for our residents.
We are excited that as part of our long-term sustainability plan, the Healthy Blair County Coalition is now part of the United Way of the Southern Alleghenies. Our work will not only continue but has the capacity to expand to address other social determinants of health in collaboration with our Blair County community partners.
