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Healthy Franklin County (HFC) is hosting the Franklin County Health Summit on October 20th at Wilson College. The free event will feature an overview of findings from the community health needs assessment (CHNA), which is conducted by WellSpan Health, every three years. The report is used by local healthcare systems and community-based organizations to identify health priorities and strategies to address them. HFC brings community stakeholders together to create a joint plan of action to improve the health and well-being of Franklin County residents.
Keynote Speakers
To provide a deeper dive into the health needs and priorities of the community, there will be three keynote presentations at the event. Berwood Yost, Director of the Floyd Institute for Public Policy at Franklin & Marshall College will present the key CHNA findings, including a review of primary survey results and secondary data findings which concluded that Franklin County residents’ health issues are strongly associated with obesity and associated indicators such as poor eating, a lack of physical activities, and poor mental health. Stephanie Voight, Director of Community Health Planning and Evaluation for WellSpan Health, will give an overview of WellSpan Health’s plans to address health needs in the communities they serve. And Trond Harman, a Pediatric Therapist and LCSW with Keystone Behavioral Health, will share a presentation on the impacts of COVID on behavioral health, which according to the CHNA, 44% of Franklin County residents said that COVID negatively impacted their mental health.
Success Stories
While the findings from the CHNA will provide community organizations with more clarity and purpose about the work that lies ahead to improve the health of Franklin County residents, it’s important to pause and recognize the great work that is being done every single day by our peers and neighbors. The event will spotlight the work of community-based organizations by featuring some of their successes in helping Franklin County residents. Stories will be shared by First Start Partnerships, the Got Wishes? Advance Care Planning Coalition, and a Community Health Worker to name a few.
Community Health Champion Award(s)
Healthy Franklin County will also recognize the work of those making a positive difference in the lives of Franklin County residents with the inaugural Community Health Champion award(s). Three categories and recipients will be honored for their service and commitment to improving community health and include:
Healthy Franklin County Community Health Champion (>40 years old) (someone who has been doing the work for a long time and has made a tremendous difference) will be awarded to Sheldon “Shelly” Schwartz, a volunteer, community advocate and ombudsman for the Franklin County Area Agency on Agency.
Healthy Franklin County Community Health Outstanding Young Professional (<40 years old) will be awarded to Sonja Payne, MSW, a Community Health Mobilizer with the Shippensburg Community Resource Coalition.
Healthy Franklin County Community Health Champion (Organizational Award) will be awarded to First Start Partnerships (formerly Franklin County Head Start).
Community Engagement Roundtables
There will also be an opportunity for community members to participate in roundtables to discuss ideas about how to address priority health topics including food security, behavioral health, early childhood development, nutrition and physical activity and health disparities. Healthy Franklin County task forces will use the input to help guide their community health improvement action plans.
The Franklin County Health Summit is also a great entry point to joining other community-based organizations who are working toward more collective impact.
Register for the upcoming event here by October 14th. A light breakfast and lunch will be included at the event. Click here to see a flyer for the event. Contact npurdy@wellspan.org for more information about the event. The event is sponsored by WellSpan Health.
To learn more about Healthy Franklin County, visit www.healthyfranklincounty.org.
