MPH NEWSLETTER VOL. 20
WE’RE HERE TO HELP WITH YOUR COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT & IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY / IMPROVEMENT PLAN!
Hi there,
It’s November already, the fall is flying by and we are making sure our clients meet their deadlines for this cycle of health assessment. Reach out to us anytime to learn more about Community Health Needs Assessments and CHIPs/Implementation Strategies! Set up a FREE discovery call with us here.
This week was an important one for us to pause and thank those who serve(d). We enjoyed attending ceremonies in our local communities to commemorate those who have fallen fighting for the safety of our country. The health and well-being of Veterans is unique. They were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice during their service and have experienced immensely stressful situations, with broad reaching impacts on their physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and all other aspects of their health (and their families!). As public health professionals, we know the importance of investigating their health and well-being through the lens of their unique experiences. To honor Veterans this week, we wanted to create a newsletter that shares resources for and about them.
Thank a Veteran you know for their service today.
Stay healthy,
IN THE NEWS…
So many amazing public health professionals have reached out to us wanting to discuss consulting, aspirations, and executing their visions for healthier communities. Our goal (particularly our CEO, Stephanie Moxley’s) is to engage with and respond to everyone that reaches out to us, but we are just a small woman-owned company in a sea of brilliant professionals… so we wanted to organize something BIGGER!
You are invited to our first ever MPH Mentorship & Networking Session on November 25, 2024 at 12pm EST!
In other news… You have probably already heard about our Dental Health Week initiative for our volunteer project in the Blue Mountains, Jamaica… We updated our website with a virtual “scrapbook” - giving you tons of access to behind the scenes content! Check it out at this link.
WHAT IS unique about veterans’ health?
Veterans have experienced things that civilian members of society will never experience and cannot understand. After their service, Veterans can find it challenging to reintegrate into society and find purpose. All of these things affect their health uniquely and need to be considered when implementing strategies to improve their health outcomes.
Interested in learning more? Check out this amazing list of resources from the American Medical Association that gives more information about Veteran health, with actionable recommendations for service providers who work with Veterans.
did you know?
The Veterans Affairs Health Administration is our nation’s largest healthcare system - and a recent systematic review showed that it is consistently as good as or better than non-VA care on numerous measures.
This US health system dedicated to serving Veterans is unique, and a strength in comparison to other five eyes countries such as Canada, where Veterans rely on the civilian healthcare system after release. Having a system that focuses solely on Veterans allows it to be tailored to their specific needs and ensures that they aren’t pushed out into the margins. Veterans need service providers that understand military culture and what is required to cover their complex needs after service.
tips & tricks of the month
Looking for health data about Veterans in your community? The American Community Survey that the US Census Bureau administers has an indicator for Veteran status. Check out all of the raw data, available here.
public health organization spotlight
One of our part-time consultants, Elissa, also holds a position as an analyst in the Canadian federal government, with Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC).
We want to place a spotlight this month on some of the amazing public health work being done by VAC - with Elissa at the lead! Elissa used her expertise in the CHNA process to manage the team that conducted the Department’s first ever community health needs assessment of the Canadian Veteran population. This assessment has been a vital tool for highlighting the unique health-related strengths and needs of Veterans, and is already being used in communities.
mph favorites to share with you…
This month Steph wants to share an utterly moving novel by Kristin Hannah, “The Women”. While fictional, this novel educates readers about real life mental health impacts of military service, and the discrimination that women servicemembers have faced on the front lines and at home.
Allie wants to share information about the VA’s Compassionate Contact Corps - a virtual social prescription program where trained volunteers are matched with Veterans that are experiencing loneliness or social isolation. The volunteer typically calls the Veteran weekly for 15-60 minutes to provide socialization and companionship via phone or video calls. Many volunteers come from Veteran service organizations and are Veterans themselves, but that is not a requirement to volunteer for the program. This is an incredible resource!
Know a Veteran in Canada? There are so many different sources of support available to Canadian Veterans - while this is a positive thing, often, it leaves Veterans unsure where to turn. Elissa wants you to check out these online databases of community-based resources available to Veterans (based on geographic location).
These tools can help the Veterans in your life get connected with the supports they need - please share them!
