A community health assessment by the Blue Ridge Health District, Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital and UVA Health is being put into action as part of a Community Health Improvement Plan, or CHIP.
The MAPP2Health results were published in September for Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa and Nelson counties as well as the City of Charlottesville.
This week, CHIP launches a three-year process to unite agencies and organizations to make change in everything from transportation to mental and behavioral health. Community partners have begun collaborating in work groups – setting objects and identifying conveners – to achieve the group’s goals by the end of 2025.
“Sentara is financially committed to the CHIP process to ensure the successful continuation of this important community health initiative,” said Kimberly Skelly, President and Executive Director, Martha Jefferson Hospital Foundation, in a newsletter sent out by the BRHD.
Here are some of the updates from the work groups:
- Transportation – Partners in the transportation work group include CAT, Jaunt, Albemarle Board of Supervisors, UTS, Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission, Charlottesville Area Alliance and Piedmont Mobility Alliance. Work is planned in areas such as GPS app expansion, microtransit, rideshare, transportation support to and from hospitals and bus shelter improvements. In fact, some efforts are already under way: Jaunt approved its Transit Development Plan in February and is actively implementing improvements in its scheduling system and phone service throughout the spring.
- Healthcare workforce – The healthcare workforce work group is a diverse set of clinical providers, government agencies, educators, Network2Work@PVCC, non-profit organizations, community health workers, school advocates and community and diversity leaders from UVA Health and SMJH. They are working toward two goals: 1) Ensuring providers and staff reflect the diverse patient population; and 2) Expanding the provision of health services in rural or underserved communities. Objectives include upstream initiatives from diversifying the pool of patient actors in clinical simulations to expanding clinical career pathways for high school students. Already underway is a Community Health Worker (CHW) network, connecting CHWs districtwide to training and programs that enhance their skills. An exciting objective to increase the number of qualified medical interpreters aims to connect multi-lingual community members with careers critical to improving patient care. Finally, to expand health services, Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene and Nelson Counties have reviewed the CHIP’s goals in the context of their comprehensive planning and economic development.
- Digital access and literacy – This work group is still forming, with organizations like Albemarle’s Broadband Accessibility and Affordability Office, Jefferson Madison Regional Library, TJACE@PVCC, JABA and the Louisa Commission on Aging exploring how to get broadband, hardware, software, digital navigators or online support to all residents – particularly its rural, older, and non-native speakers.
- Mental health and behavioral health – Virginia has long been impacted by historic underfunding and a behavioral health workforce shortage. No organization knows this more than the Community Mental Health and Wellness Coalition, the lead convener of the CHIP’s Mental Health Workgroup. Partners include leadership from both health systems, behavioral health organizations, criminal justice organizations, and other groups. The workgroup had a planning session to identify priorities and next steps for tackling the CHIP’s goals – like increasing access to care, and promoting policies, systems, and environments that improve behavioral health and wellness.
BRHD has led the MAPP2Health CHA/CHIP process since 2009, in partnership with Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital and UVA Health. The CHA/CHIP Program Officer is currently housed at Blue Ridge Health District, co-funded by BRHD and soon Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital through the support of the Martha Jefferson Hospital Foundation.
For more information on CHIP, visit https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/blue-ridge/chip/
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Crystal Graham
