Faculty Collaboration Database

The Health Action Fund: a community-based approach to enhancing health. J Health Commun 2000;5(3):243-54

Date

02/24/2001

Pubmed ID

11185024

DOI

10.1080/10810730050131415

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0034222383 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   6 Citations

Abstract

This article is based on a program that was developed by the Center for Healthy Communities (CHC), a community-academic partnership in Dayton, Ohio, that continues to act as a force for change in health professions' education and health delivery, stressing the philosophy of "doing with" instead of "doing for" or "doing to." The Health Action Fund is a grassroots health communications and social marketing program that targets community groups who are involved often in health promotion activities developed by large agencies. However, rather than taking the traditional approach to health promotion and prevention where program development and implementation is left to professionals, a different approach was taken that encourages members of neighborhoods, a community group, or a church to identify a problem and then develop a way to address that problem for their group. The program focuses on neighbors helping neighbors where communities take the lead in health promotion and prevention activities. We discuss in detail the project's innovation, challenges and how they have been addressed, qualitative and quantitative improvements made to the program, and how the program serves as a model for other communities.

Author List

Maurana CA, Clark MA

Author

Cheryl A. Maurana PhD Interim Provost, SVP Str Acad Ptnrshp, Dir, Prof in the Institute for Health and Humanity department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Community Participation
Community-Institutional Relations
Financing, Organized
Health Plan Implementation
Health Promotion
Humans
Models, Organizational
Ohio
Schools, Health Occupations