39The Healthy Blair County Coalition (HBCC)
The Healthy Blair County Coalition (HBCC) is a partnership of local individuals and organizations working to promote the social, economic, emotional, and physical well-being of our area residents.
Vision
A healthy Blair County community.
Mission
The mission of the HBCC is to assess and impact all aspects of a healthy Blair County by sharing resources, engaging local partnerships, and implementing strategies and programs to make a difference in the lives of the people in our community.
What’s New!
Participate in the 2021 Community Health Needs Assessment
As part of the effort to build a healthier community in Blair County, we are conducting a Household Survey in collaboration with our community partners to learn more about strengths and issues in neighborhoods and households. We believe your insights will help improve all aspects of a healthy Blair County (e.g. social, economic, physical, emotional, etc.). The results of your survey as well as others will provide us with information on what you think is most important so our work groups can develop programs and activities that are most beneficial. If you did not receive a survey in the mail as part of our random household selection but would like to complete the survey, please use the link below. We are not tracking who completed the survey so there is no way to identify you or your household. We would like an adult (18 years of age or older) in your household to complete this survey by July 15, 2021.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/R9SK6WB
Congratulations to our Blair County Spring 2021 Active Living Steps Challenge Winners
Our Let’s Move Blair County Committee and Chamber of Commerce Workplace Wellness Committee completed the Active Living Steps Challenge. Our county goal was 110,000,000 steps over the last 8 weeks. Our grand total was 183,407,453! . The results are as follows:
Individual: Paula Binus – 1,666,642 steps
Small Team: Sole Mates (The Lanzel Family) – 5,089,064 steps
Medium Team: Altoona Curve – 9,761,426 steps
Large Team: Altoona Family Physicians – 12,379,524 steps
X-Large Team: James E. Van Zandt Medical Center – 18,761,877 steps
Join us in September 2021 for the next challenge!
Let’s Move Blair County Day scheduled for August 19, 2021 from 4:30 – 7:30 pm at Lakemont Park.
Columbia Suicide Risk Assessment Training and App
The Mental Health Work Group has a developed a training based on the Columbia-Suicide Assessment Tool. The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) supports suicide risk assessment through a series of simple, plain-language questions that anyone can ask. The answers help users identify whether someone is at risk for suicide, assess the severity and immediacy of that risk, and gauge the level of support that the person needs. The training is available at no cost to any agency or organization. Under the leadership of the Blair County Department of Social Services, an app was developed and can be downloaded on the App Store (search Columbia Protocol).
Blair County continues to improve in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 2021 County Health Rankings Report!
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation County Health rankings and Roadmaps releases data annually for each county in the country. The report not only provides an overall ranking but includes a variety of indicators focusing on health outcomes and health factors. In 2010, Blair County ranked 63 out of 67 counties in Pennsylvania. The ranking is an indicator of how healthy a county is and what is needed to improve overall health. Blair County has improved its ranking to 39 in the latest report Although we are heading in the right direction, there is more that can be accomplished so please join us in improving the lives of Blair County residents.
Ready to Go Farm to Early Child Care & Education Initiative
Have you heard about the “Ready Set Grow” initiative? The Food Trust, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Head Start Association, is working across the state, with local task force teams to increase Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE) activities. Do you or wish to take classes on farm field trips, plant seeds, or sample locally grown fruits and vegetables? Connecting young children and families to their local food systems and farming communities not only sets them on a path to good health choices but supports our local agriculture economy and helps build healthier communities.
HBCC is partnering with The Food Trust to assess ways to strengthen Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE) practices and policies in Blair County. We’re looking for local ECEs that provide care/education to children ages (0-5) to participate in this assessment survey; plus involvement in a follow-up community visioning meeting to receive a monetary incentive of $100 for their time.
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Join the HBCC and Attend Coalition Meetings
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Serve on Work Groups/Committees
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Complete the 2021 Community Health Needs Assessment Surveys
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Advertise and Support HBCC Activities.
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Use the Let’s Move Blair County on your website, newsletters, etc. (based on usage guidelines).
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Collaborate and Promote HBCC Initiatives such as Let’s Move Blair County, the Active Living Steps Challenge, the Rural Impact County Challenge, etc
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Provide Funding or Sponsorships
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Eat Healthy and Be Active
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Include HBCC as Appropriate in Local Community Efforts