Partnering with communities to improve health: the New York City Turning Point experience

Area of Science:

• Public Health Systems
• Community Health Assessment
• Health Policy and Planning

Background:

• The Robert Wood Johnson and W.K. Kellogg Foundations launched Turning Point, a national initiative to strengthen public health systems.
• Turning Point emphasizes partnership building and planning for improved public health practice.
• New York City formed a Public Health Partnership in response to a foundation request for proposals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To initiate a public health planning process in New York City using a Turning Point planning grant.
• To identify public health priorities through community engagement and data sharing.
• To develop a public health system improvement plan focused on community health.

Main Methods:

• Convened forums in each of New York City's five boroughs with over 1,100 community participants.
• Collected and shared health and demographic data during the forums.
• Developed a public health system improvement plan based on forum outcomes.

Main Results:

• Identified key public health priorities including access to care, environmental health, mental health, housing, asthma, education, and dietary issues.
• Established a New York City Public Health Partnership.
• Developed a plan with goals to create public health partnerships, address community concerns, and implement supportive policies.

Conclusions:

• Community engagement and data sharing are crucial for identifying public health priorities.
• A structured approach to partnership building and planning can lead to effective public health improvement plans.
• Local health departments can play a vital role in promoting community health approaches.