850 245 4250 : Email Us Read Our Sitemap : Send Feedback EH Home About Us Communities Radiation Medicine Water Sewage Programs Newsroom

For more information on this project, contact Crystal Steele, Environmental Health Director, or Andrea Hartsog, PACE-EH Coordinator,  at the Walton County Health Department.

WALTON COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
June/July PACE-EH Update

Date:          August 17, 2004

To:             Daniel Parker, MSP, GAL
                   Assistant Division Director, Division of Environmental Health

From:         Andrea M. Hartsog
                   Community Health Assessment Coordinator
                   MAPP/PACE-EH Coordinator

PACE-EH Planning Process:

Task 1: Determine community capacity to undertake the assessment.
Action: Based on the environmental health history of the county and the willingness of the WCHD to undertake the support of this project, all project partners have determined that such an assessment is applicable and timely.
Timeline: This task is completed.

Task 2: Define and characterize the community.
Action: CHAC (Community Health Assessment Coordinator) will work with WCHD Environmental Manager and project partners to determine the community members necessary to be involved in a successful partnership in the PACE-EH models.
Outcome: An initial Steering committee has been formed. Community Environmental Assessment Partners are currently being identified.
Timeline: This task is completed.

STEERING COMMITTEE for the
Walton County Health Department PACE – EH Project:

Task 3: Assemble Community Environmental Health Assessment Team.
Action: CHAC will submit letters of invitation to community members to participate in the project and hold initial meetings. CHAC will arrange times and locations, determine training needs and schedule such trainings and work with the teams to establish a decision-making process.
Outcome: The initial Walton County PACE-EH Partnership meeting was held on May 19, 2004 in Freeport from 3:30 until 6:00. The Partnership consisted of 16 members with a diverse representation of Freeport Citizens, City and Government officials and community businesses. PACE Partnership training needs are currently being identified and addressed. A decision-making process will be decided upon and initiated as the partnership continues its formation. Community partnerships will continue to be identified throughout the duration of the PACE-EH Project. PACE-EH Meeting Agenda, PACE Partnership list, meeting minutes and partnership packet information are available upon request.
Timeline: This task is completed. Community partnerships will continue to be identified throughout the duration of the PACE-EH Project.

Progress/Success:

The Walton County PACE-EH Project continues to move forward successfully.

The city of Freeport and surrounding areas is the community area to be addressed in the PACE-EH Project based on an influx of development and the need for Environmental Health Education.

During this report period, the Freeport PACE Partnership met on July 12, 2004 at the Freeport Fire Department from 4:30 to 6:30 with 17 partners in attendance. Time was allotted for partnership development and networking, followed by welcome and introductions of any new members. A power point presentation was given outlining and reviewing PACE projects Tasks 1-5 to be completed. The partnership determined the meeting structure and a rotating chairperson method was chosen. The partnership chose consensus as their method of decision-making. Partners were provided with a portfolio of information and data including: a packet of the PACE Pilot projects across the Nation, Walton County Youth Behavior Survey, BRFSS – Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey, Report on the Governor’s Task Force on the Obesity Epidemic in Florida – February 2004, Walton County 2002 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey, Walton County Chronic Disease Report, Walton County Health Profile Report, Healthy Beaches Report, and 2003 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report. Partners will review the information and develop a list of priority issues for the community survey. It was decided that the Freeport PACE Partnership will meet on the second Monday of every month until the end of the year. Information regarding the PACE Partnership Project is available upon request.

CHAC has attended the following trainings for the PACE Project:

• Social Marketing Conference in Clearwater, Florida on June 16 – 19, 2004
• Risk Communications in Orlando, Florida on July 15 -16, 2004
• FEHA/FPHA Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida on July 25 – 30, 2004

List of PACE-EH Partners:

PACE- EH
Protocol for Assessing Community Excellence in Environmental Health
July 12, 2004
Meeting Minutes

Partnership Members Present:

Andrea Hartsog, WCHD (lead)
Ken Little, Citizens Services
Lane Reese, County Commissioner
Rebecca Filipowicz, WCHD
Toni Noel, WCHD
Tracy Dickey, Freeport Elementary
Mike Currie, WCHD
George Russell , Freeport Resident
Ray Sullivan, Freeport Fire Chief
Bryan Callahan, COPE & Walton County Prevention Coalition
Beth Salvidge, Freeport Citizen
Ben Grafton, DeFuniak Springs Herald
Faye Ward, Muscogee Nation
Nancy Watkins, Muscogee Nation
Montee Posey, Parks & Recreation
Laura Brazell, WCHD
Susan Turner MD, WCHD
Sammy Sanchez, Traffic Safety Team/SWFD

Welcome & Introductions Partnership Development Members spent time networking and enjoying refreshments at the beginning of the meeting

Introductions Clarification of community actions and WCHD’s role. Welcoming of new members. Dr. Turner spoke briefly on the frame work of community action and how WCHD is incorporated into PACE. Andrea spoke briefly on information and statistics. PACE members all received portfolio of information. George spoke briefly about Okaloosa contract. All attendees agreed on Andrea to send out database of all partners.

Ground Rules Ground rules list to bring to next meeting. Understanding ground rules agreed upon in last meeting.

Tasks Increased understanding PACE-EH Project tasks and understanding of timeline. Choose Freeport; based on increased development and population. Our first task has been completed. Second task is to define and characterize community which was completed. Third task is to Assemble Community Environmental Health Assessment Team-this task will not be completed for a couple of months. Fourth Task is to Define Goals of Assessment and Fifth one is to generate list of EH issue which will be completed by twelfth month.

Q & A Clarification of tasks No questions were asked

Determine Meeting Structure How the meetings should start and end, Suggestions Meeting to start right at 4:30 pm with networking at end of meeting. Suggestion of chairperson or officer for meeting. A different person every 2 months. Voted and passed. PACE will need to have a new “leader” by new year. Montee or Russ will be our chairperson. Partners have 1 month to think of best person.

Why PACE-EH in Florida Why did PACE-EH choose Florida? There are many community issues that PACE-EH could help with. Agreed that Andrea would bring description of community/state project in PACE-EH

Decision making Structure - Getting PACE-EH out there Suggestion of top 5 topics to overview. Partners are to brainstorm any more ideas of topics. Suggestion of Town Hall meeting to talk about PACE-EH . Triggered as a community outreach.

Telephone Surveys How to get community involved in PACE-EH project decision George Russell overviewed a telephone survey that Okaloosa created to help get community opinions on community issues. The alternate to this survey is a Town Hall meeting, suggestion of mailings (cost effective?) Print ad in newspaper. Also suggested were surveys/e-mail list survey, church surveys, and civil groups, stuffing utility mail-Chelco, Political Rally and schools. Consensus on phone and email surveys is a bad idea. Media attention on PACE-EH will bring better responses. Ken Little agrees to go to Chelco with Andrea for utility bill stuffing. Surveys will be chosen by partners. All ideas will be researched and voted on

Community Homework Discussion of Ideas Sharing of community ideas. Bike paths, litter, beach flags, gallbladder surgery linked to EH issue, transportation-assistance for elderly or people with no transportation. (See complete issues list attached)

Community Involvement Suggestions of community to get involved Community homework to be compiled into list, to be used as a check off list for survey questions. Suggestion of raffle with survey to motivate community members to participate in survey ($100 or $50 gift certificate)

Ending Ending of meeting Next meeting will be on August 9th at Freeport Fire Hall. 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm

Positives Food, Andrea to pause for group involvement, responsiveness and suggestions
Deltas Chocolate pudding, Eat and work at the same time, allow 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours for meeting)

Upcoming Events:

PACE-EH Subcommittee Meeting August 16, 2004
September 13, 2004 @ the Freeport Fire Department from 4:30 – 6:30pm

Other Walton EH-PACE Updates

Latest Walton PACE-EH Update

May/June, 2004