Commissioners endorse CHIP
The Meigs County Commissioners (front, from left) Mike Bartrum, Randy Smith and Tim Ihle, are pictured with representatives from Get Healthy Meigs! (back, from left) Michelle Willard, Ian Blache and Courtney Midkiff.
POMEROY — The Meigs County Commissioners formally endorsed Meigs County’s Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) during Thursday’s regular meeting.
Meigs County Health Department administrator Courtney Midkiff and administrative assistant Michelle Willard, along with the CHIP author Ian Blache, were present at the meeting to discuss the CHIP which was 17 months in the making.
Midkiff told the commissioners that the plan is one of the steps toward a July 1, 2020, accreditation deadline for the health department, but the plan is not just for the health department. The plan is to serve the entire county with a goal of trying to create a culture of health.
The plan focuses on five areas — substance abuse, maternal and child health, workforce development, chronic illness and healthy behaviors.
The plan was developed through the work of the Get Healthy Meigs! (GHM) committee. The committee is “comprised of community members dedicated to addressing the significant health challenges faced by Meigs County, while promoting health, wellness, safety and well-being.”
The mission of GHM! is to improve the overall well-being of Miegs County.
According to the resolution approved by the commissioners, one of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 10 essential public health services is to monitor health status to identify and solve community health problems.
The health department, along with many other partners took part in the 17-month community-driven health improvement process which let to the development of the CHIP.
The health department and its partners also engaged in a Community Health Assessment (CHA) which found that Meigs County faces significant health disparities and inequalities. An improvement process led to the development of CHIP, a five-year action oriented plan to improve the health of the county.
Those involved with the Community Health Assessment (CHA) and Community Health Improvement Project (CHIP) Planning Group: Get Healthy Meigs!, to date, include:
Courtney Midkiff, Meigs County Health Department
Juli Simpson, Meigs County Health Department
Laura Cleland, Meigs County Health Department
Leanne Cunningham, Meigs County Health Department
Michelle Willard, Meigs County Health Department
Sarah Fick, Appalachian Peace and Justice Network
Rick Edwards, Athens-Meigs Educational Service Center
Whitney Thoenem Meigs County Chamber of Commerce
Tom Reed, Gallia-Meigs Community Action Agency
Robin Harris, Gallia-Jackson-Meigs (G-J-M) Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health
Brittany Maxson, Health Recovery Services
Eli DeLille, Health Services Advisory Group
David Stout, Holzer Health System
Justin Conley, Hopewell Health Centers
Sherry Shamblin, Hopewell Health Centers
Lenora Leifheit, Meigs Cooperative Parish Mulberry Center
Kay Davis, Meigs County Board of Developmental Disabilities
Norma Torres, Meigs County Cancer Initiative
Randy Smith, Meigs County Commissioner
Robbie Jacks, Meigs County EMS
Chris Shank, Meigs County Job and Family Services
Elizabeth King, Meigs County Job and Family Services
Gay Perrin, Meigs County Retired Teachers
Keith Wood, Meigs County Sheriff
Steve Jenkins, Meigs County Soil and Water Conservation District
Brooke Pauley, Meigs Family and Children First Council
Scott Powell, Meigs Juvenile/Probate Court
Debbie Gerlach, Middleport Community Action
Sarah Roush, Pleasant Valley Hospital
Tom Sutton, Rio Grande Community College
Senator Lou Gentile, State Senate
Rep. Debbie Phillips, State House
Bruce Hart, StrategyEx
Dennis Johnson, TASC of Southeast Ohio
Kelly Velazquez, UHCCP
Billie Wells, Union Local 650 Pomeroy
Ian Blache, University of Rio Grande/RGCC
Mike Gerlach, Village of Middleport/Healthy Communities
Lori Siegert, Woodland Centers
Michelle Stumbo, OSU Extension
Paul Mueller, OSU Extension
Katy Sulfridge, Children’s Hunger Alliance
Angela Stowers, G-J-M Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health
Jenny Ridenour, Meigs Soil and Water Conservation District
Jan Harper Jackson, Buckeye Community Health
Nancy Beuher, GMCAA Help Me Grow
Carrie Johnson, OU Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (OUHCOM)
Crystal Haning, OU Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (OUHCOM)
Mindy Cayton, Buckeye Hills Regional Council on Aging and Disability
Gwen Craft, Holzer Health System
Project Partners and Stakeholder Organizations have included:
Meigs County Health Department
University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College
Holzer Health System
Pleasant Valley Hospital
Middleport Community Association
Athens-Meigs Educational Service Center
Gallia-Jackson-Meigs Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services
Gallia-Meigs Community Action Agency
OU Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs
Hopewell Health Centers
Meigs Cooperative Parish Faith Community Nursing
Meigs County Family and Children First Council
Meigs County Department of Job and Family Services/Ohio Means Jobs
Meigs County Soil and Water Conservation District
Meigs County Commissioners
Meigs County Chamber of Commerce
The Daily Sentinel
Woodland Centers
Appalachian Peace and Justice Network
Health Services Advisory Group.
Source: http://www.mydailysentinel.com/news/16017/commissioners-endorse-chip