Health McLeod Meeker Sibley Healthy Communities

Our workgroup’s mission is:

“Working together to create Healthier Communities through outreach and education”.

The partners in our Healthy Communities Collaborative are involved in educating our communities through county fair booths, special events and our website.

Meeker County Memorial Hospital, Glencoe Regional Health Services, Hutchinson Hospital and Sibley Medical Center fund the Education Workgroup and Meeker, McLeod and Sibley County Public Health Departments provide staff and in-kind contributions to these projects as well.

This workgroup continues to plan community health initiatives through information provided by the Minnesota Department of Health and Regional Health Profile information.

This workgroup has had a specific focus since 1996. In 1996 and 1997 the group’s focus was Chemical Health (Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs).

In 1998, it was Child Passenger Safety.

The 1999 focus was “Their time their Future” (ATOD, Gun Safety and Self Esteem).

The 2000 focus was “Lighten Up Stress Less”.

The 2001 focus was “Its Never too Late to Feel Great-Eat Smart Stay Active”.

The 2002 focus was “The smoke around you- still want to breathe it?”.

The 2003 focus was “Type 2 Diabetes…a growing epidemic”.

The 2004 focus was “Eat Smart Play Hard”.

Celebrating 10 Years of Collaboration

History of Healthy Communities

Healthy Communities Collaborative History

MISSION STATEMENT:
“Our commitment is to improve the health of our community."
HISTORY:
Public Health Departments, Hospitals and Clinics based in Meeker, McLeod and Sibley Counties began to meet at the Allina Healthy Community Retreats during 1993 through 1995. In January 1995, the Meeker, McLeod, Sibley Healthy Communities Collaborative Team was created.

WORK GROUPS:

Meeker, McLeod, Sibley Healthy Communities Collaborative Full Team consists of administrators from each sector who meet quarterly and advise three workgroups which are Disease Prevention & Control; Prenatal and Education.

The Prenatal Work Group:

Identified the responsibilities of local public health, clinics, hospitals and the state in the care of pregnant women. They have defined the roles and responsibilities among providers in the area of prenatal care. One specific focus has been newborn and infant hearing screenings.

Disease Prevention & Control:

discuss local roles and responsibilities in the areas of communicable disease prevention, surveillance and control, work to improve immunization rates, and coordinate the "Registry" ( MIIC Minnesota Immunization Information Consortium) a web based immunization information record system.

DP & C Work Group - Emergency Preparedness:

In 2002, Public Health was assigned the responsibility of Emergency Preparedness. The focus is to plan and prepare for a pandemic and or bio-terroristic threat. Membership now includes: Representatives from emergency services, law enforcement, fire and rescue, Ridgewater College, and our district epidemiologist from MDH.

The local network of providers needs to meet to define roles and responsibilities in the event of a public health emergency.
Minnesota Incident Management System (MIMS) Training should be made available to all who might become involved in a public health emergency. This will help to ensure that all involved are speaking the same language and using the same framework, the language and framework of Emergency Management. This common knowledge/language base will facilitate the work of defining of roles and responsibilities in the event of a bioterrorism event or a communicable disease outbreak such as influenza pandemic.
The Workgroup decided that the place to start the discussion of roles & responsibilities is with the development of a Mass Clinic/ National Pharmaceutical Stockpile Plan. Once the Minnesota Department of Health completes the template for this plan, the Workgroup will develop a local plan. The Workgroup is also planning MIMS Training, that includes discussion of biologic agents, in each of the three counties, and has funding from a Rural Flex Grant from the Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, to cover some of the costs for this training as well as stipends for volunteers, such as EMT's.