Sixteenth Annual Meeting:
“Moving Towards a Healthier Tomorrow”

The Center for Healthy Communities held its Sixteenth Annual Meeting on June 18, 2008. This years meeting was held at the Sinclair Community College, David H. Ponitz Sinclair Center.
	The 2008 Annual Meeting keynote speaker was Mary Beth Thaman, CPRP, Director of City of Kettering Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department Click here for information on the Ohio Physical Activities Plan & Wellness Matters

Kate Cauley Director of the Center, presented the CHC Health Promotion Awards. These awards recognize collaborations between two or more groups that have contributed to improving the health of Montgomery County citizens. Established program: Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine & Dayton Public Schools Introduction to Clinical Medicine Experience New program: Diabetes and Obesity Wellness Opportunity Program (DO-WOP)

Guests at the meeting also had an opportunity to learn about several other successful collaborations through a display of posters. For the third year, the Center for Healthy Communities solicited abstracts for posters that detailed

work organizations have done in partnership with others (see a full list of titles and authors below). These posters allowed attendees to learn about many programs and initiatives that help Montgomery County residents to improve and maintain their health.

Poster Presentations at the Center for Healthy Communities Annual Meeting

Development of a Low Birth Weight Registry for Dayton, Ohio
Under the auspices of Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association (GDAHA), Miami Valley Hospital receives funding from the Montgomery County Human Services Levy, through Family and Children First Council (FCFC), to conduct a study looking for modifiable risk factors related to having a low birth weight (LBW) infant. The poster will demonstrate the high LBW rate locally and the cooperation between multiple community organizations including: FCFC, GDAHA, Miami Valley Hospital, Good Samaritan Hospital, Kettering Medical Center and Southview Hospital, the Perinatal Data Use Consortium (PDUC), and the Combined Health District. As the project expands, interest continues to grow, and additional community agencies become involved. The long-term goal of the research project is to create strategic interventions, based on the identified regional risk factors, to reduce the local rate of LBW.
Elizabeth Eisenhauer, BSN, RN, MLS, Low Birth Weight Study Coordinator, Clinical Research Center, Miami Valley Hospital
David E. Uddin, PhD, DABCC, CIP
Vice-Chair, Medical Education, Director of Clinical Research, Miami Valley Hospital
Pam Albers, RN, MS, Director, Help Me Grow-Brighter Futures
Sara Paton, Ph.D. Wright State University Department Center for Global Health Systems Management & Policy, and Public Health Dayton & Montgomery County.
Robert L. Stoughton, MS, Fitz Center for Leadership in Community at the University of Dayton and Montgomery County (OH) Office of Family and Children First

ICM I Educational Model in Teaching Pediatric Physical Exam in Community Setting:  
Introduction to clinical medicine (ICM) courses have traditionally focused on inpatient wards over the pediatric well exam. This course uses kindergartners in a school setting to give first year medical students (MSI) hands-on experience in the well pediatric exam and to impress upon them the interdisciplinary nature of their future roles as physicians. The experience emphasizes the importance of service learning as an active part of ongoing education.
The ICM experience is a win-win situation that benefits both the kindergartners and medical students. MSI become more comfortable with the pediatric exam and are exposed to an underserved environment. The course provides an excellent model for early clinical experience with a spirit embracing service learning. It illustrates how a medical school can utilize the community as a valuable teaching resource. 
Erin McConnell, Elvira Jaballas, Adrienne Stolfi, Carla Clasen
Department of Pediatrics, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, Dayton, OH

The POWER Program – Taking health and safety education into the community
The Program of Wellness Education Resources (POWER) program kicked off on March 2, 2005 at The Children's Medical Center of Dayton. POWER is a partnership between Junior League of Dayton and Dayton Children's. The partnership was formed to offer broad community outreach of health and wellness, safety and prevention programs to the families of the Miami Valley.
The poster highlighted the POWER partnership as well as the various outreach activities associated with this relationship including the distribution of bicycle helmets and car seats, an annual safety poster contest, Body Shop scholarships, Safe-Baby workshops, and the Kids in the Kitchen Program. The POWER Mobile, our most visible outreach tool, and a retired Dayton Children's ambulance transformed into a fun education mobile for kids.  It is filled with child-friendly computer and magnetic games, emphasizing general safety and healthy food choices. 
POWER is reaching children in the Miami Valley with valuable health and safety information in a positive and fun way.
Jessica Saunders, Injury Prevention/Health Coordinator, The Children's Medical Center of Dayton
Carly Anderson, Junior League of Dayton
Kathy Barenbrugge, Junior League of Dayton

Community Health Initiative – Tackling the Triple Threat of Substance Abuse, HIV, and Hepatitis
The triple threat of substance abuse, HIV, and Hepatitis exerts a disproportionate impact on the African American community, particularly among ex-offenders. The Community Health Initiative (CHI) is a community-based partnership designed to respond to this public health crisis. Partners include Substance Abuse Resources and Disability Issues Program (SARDI), Public Health Dayton/Montgomery County, the Dayton Urban League, Mt. Olive Baptist Church, the Center for Alcoholism and Drug Addition Services (CADAS), and Consumer Advocacy Model (CAM). These partners are working together to reduce substance abuse, HIV, and Hepatitis risk factors primarily among at-risk African Americans, including ex-offenders. This poster will provide an overview of the five strategic prevention framework activities the partnership has undertaken since its inception in October 2005: 1) community needs assessment, 2) capacity building, 3) strategic prevention planning, 4) implementation, and 5) evaluation. Preliminary findings related to the project’s two primary interventions, HIV testing and HIV/Hepatitis education, will be reported.
Carey Carr, M.P.H., Substance Abuse Resources and Disability Issues Program (SARDI), Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University
Carlton Williams, M.DIV, ABD, D.MIN, SARDI; Pastor Mt. Olive Baptist Church
Windy Richlen, B.A., SARDI

Dayton Children’s Pediatric Health Assessment 2008
Improving the health status of children is a key component of The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton’s mission.  To help develop meaningful strategies in this area, Dayton Children’s ascertains the status of our region’s pediatric health through an assessment conducted every three years.  The first assessment was conducted in 2002, the second in 2004 and most recently in spring 2008.  Conducted by Professional Research Consultants, Inc. (PRC), the study helps determine the health status, behavior and needs of children younger than 15 within Dayton Children’s service area.  The hospital uses the insight from this study to develop initiatives aimed at improving the health and safety of our region’s children.
PRC was able to compare this year’s findings to 2002 and 2004 survey data allowing visibility to improvements in key areas of focus for the hospital.  PRC also provided comparisons to targets provided by Healthy People 2010:  Understanding and Improving Health, which is part of the Healthy People 2010 initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  Healthy People 2010 outlines a comprehensive, nationwide health promotion and disease prevention agenda.  It is designed to serve as a roadmap for improving the health of all people in the United States during the first decade of the 21st century.
While the entire report will not be released until the end of June 2008, trends are beginning to emerge as Dayton Children’s continues to gather historical data on local pediatric health. While the 2008 Regional Pediatric Health Assessment covers a variety of topics associated with health and safety, significant trends in general health status, special health needs, nutrition and weight and physical activity can be noted.
This poster will highlight the methodology and key questions addressed in the assessment and invite program attendees to the official study launch in late June.
Jessica Saunders, Injury Prevention/Health Coordinator, The Children's Medical Center of Dayton
Susan Brockman, Patient-Family Communications Manager, The Children's Medical Center of Dayton

Community Partners Deliver Nutrition Education
Ohio State University Extension, Montgomery County (OSU Extension), and Catholic Social Services Miami Valley (CSSMV) combine forces to teach limited resource individuals and families to eat more nutritiously.  Professionals with the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program and the Family Nutrition Program conduct series of classes with clients of CSSMV that focus on MyPyramid, food budgeting, food preparation, food safety and food security.  Pre and Post tests administered to participants indicate positive changes in food choices, safe handing of food, stretching the food dollar, menu planning, physical activities, and improved eating habits for their children.
CSSMV consulted with OSU Extension recently to convert its traditional food pantry to a Choice Pantry, giving clientele opportunity for involvement in choosing foods to meet their families’ tastes and needs.  During operating hours of CSSMV’s Food Chioce Pantry, OSU Entension also offeres food demonstrations, sampling, and nutrition information featuring foods available for selection from the pantry.  Clients are encouraged to try new recipes and ehalthy nutritious foods.
The poster illustrates hou OSU Extension and CSSMV collaborate to deliver practical and relevant nutrition education that benefits local families and impacts health and wellness in the Greater Dayton area.  Photos and testimonials were included.
Ann W. Clutter, PhD, Entension Educcator, Ohio State University Extension, Montgomery County
Katie Schroeder, Ohio State University Extension, Montgomery County
Marilyn Horton, Catholic Social Services Miami Valley