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Community Health
A Global Movement
Healthy Communities is one of the more popular names for a movement that by definition means improving the health and well-being of a community.
The Healthy Community movement began in the mid-1980s with the "Healthy Cities" initiative spearheaded by the World Health Organization. That effort was designed to bolster quality of life in 34 European cities.
Since that time, Healthy Communities initiatives have sprung up in over 50 countries, and have taken root in more than 2,000 communities. Leaders of this movement come from all walks of life: business, government, non-profits, religion and citizen leaders.
Healthy Communities is based on the knowledge that local structures and policies have a profound effect on the well-being of people in communities.
Efforts to improve health and quality of life are most likely to be successful when the people affected by these problems are involved in developing and implementing their solutions.
The CHRISTUS Health Commitment
CHRISTUS Health is committed to working with and/or initiating community-led partnerships in all the communities served by CHRISTUS Health to achieve measurable, sustainable improvement in well-being.
CHRISTUS Health's Healthy Communities Model incorporates these key principles:
- Community Ownership:
Initiatives should bring together business, government, nonprofit, healthcare, faith communities and citizen leaders to address community issues. Everyone should feel empowered. - Well-being of the Community:
The universal definition of health and wholeness embraces the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual dimensions of life. - Goals and Measures:
Use benchmarks and measure progress and outcomes. - Partnerships and Collaborations:
Building capacity using the already existing community assets helps to magnify the resources available.
National and State Participation
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services formally embraced the Healthy Communities concept in 1989, asking the National Civic League to help launch the U.S. Healthy Communities Initiative. Since that time scores of medical associations, human service and community organizations, and public health agencies have adopted this approach.
Sponsorship
CHRISTUS Health is sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word of Houston and the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word of San Antonio, who were founded more than 130 years ago in response to Bishop Claude Marie Dubuis' call: "Our Lord Jesus, suffering in the persons of a multitude of sick and infirm of every kind, seeks relief at your hands."
Mission
To extend the Healing Ministry of Jesus Christ.
Healthy Communities Initiative
The goal of the Healthy Communities Initiative is to reaffirm the original Mission of the Sponsoring Congregations by basing future planning and service delivery on the goal of improving the well-being of the Communities we are called to serve.
For more information, contact Donna Meyer, Ph.D., Director of Community Health Services at 713.683.2010 |or e-mail: donna.meyer@christushealth.org
