WVU School of Nursing, Eastern Division assesses area needs

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Bridges to Healthy Transitions, a community-based research initiative within the West Virginia University School of Nursing, Eastern Division, has released the 2013 MAPP (Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships) Report for the Eastern Panhandle. The report, which draws from multiple data sources, provides a comprehensive health assessment of Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan counties, along with priority issues for planning and intervention.

A few of the identified priority areas for action include:

• Increasing access to behavioral health services, including substance abuse prevention and intervention;
• Reducing disparities in maternal and child health, particularly in the area of infant mortality;
• Focusing on chronic disease self- management, particularly for diabetes care, heart failure and COPD.
• Addressing the link between environment, behavior and the incidence of lung cancer among women.

Information in the MAPP Report includes:

• Trend data for demographics, health indicators, environmental factors and social and mental health indictors at a national, state and county level;
• Results from a community survey to assess satisfaction with and beliefs about quality of life factors, self-reported health status and perceptions about barriers to healthcare;
• Key findings based on input from community members and leaders about their perception of what the community needs to be healthy.

The purpose of the MAPP is to provide the foundation for a strategic, community-based approach to community health improvement.

“A community’s health can’t be measured simply by the existence or absence of disease,” said Joy Buck, Ph.D., R.N., WVU associate professor of nursing and MAPP project director. “The economy, the physical environment, social support networks, personal behavior and access to services all play roles. This report, which highlights a myriad of these factors, is part of a larger effort to engage the community in a strategic approach to improving the health of Eastern Panhandle residents.”

Bridges to Healthy Transitions received a two-year grant from the Benedum Foundation to complete the MAPP Assessment, to provide seed money for community-based initiatives based on the identified priorities and to develop a tool kit that other West Virginia communities can use to implement a similar process.

The report is free and available to the public online at www.hsc.wvu.edu/eastern/SON/Bridges/Forms/Mapp-Form.aspx.

For additional information about the MAPP report or the MAPP process, contact Trina Bartlett at 304-596-6349 or tcbartlett@hsc.wvu.edu.

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