As part of the process of developing an Action Plan for the 2014-2019 period, Partners for a Healthier Community held a public hearing at Fall River Government Center on June 10, 2014. This event was one of several opportunities that residents of Fall River, Somerset, Swansea and Westport had to review the 59-item Proposed Action Plan and make comments and additions to the Plan before it is adopted at the end of the month. The Action Planning Process began in September 2013 with the designation of eight short-term Task Forces mobilized around a subset of issues related to the health of the community which met to review the available data on both needs and assets, including 129 Data Sources and 30 Videotaped Key Informant Interviews, and were then be asked to come up with a list of no more than ten recommendations, listed in order of priority. A comprehensive data assessment for the four-town area was published in January 2014, and additional meetings were then held in January, February and March with representatives of populations who are at greater risk. Finally, two special meetings were convened to consider behavioral health issues from a systems perspective. The findings were then reviewed at a series of Community Health Assessment Forums in April and May where representatives of all eight Task Forces were invited to present their findings. Click here for the presentation PowerPoint slides. For more information, contact Dr. Weed at 508-324-2405. (Photos courtesy of Julie Kelly and Phil Sabatino)

(Top row) Partners Executive Director Dr. David Weed opens the session with a presentation on the work of Partners over the past ten years to develop Action Plans every five years. (Middle row) Dr. Weed goes through a PowerPoint presentation before discussing the 59-item Proposed Action Plan. (Bottom row) Dr. Weed displays the Input Form that will be placed in public libraries in Fall River, Somerset, Swansea and Westport for public input in addition to a display table at the upcoming Kick-off to Summer event where residents will be able to review and comment on the Plan, before discussing the plans with Fall River Mass in Motion Coordinator Julie Kelly and Partners School Wellness Coordinator Marcia Picard..