REGIONAL FOUNDATION BEGINS HEALTH ASSESSMENT
Strategies Will Develop From Data and Opinions
DANVILLE, VA - (August 15, 2007) - The Danville Regional Foundation is conducting a formal assessment of the health of Danville, Pittsylvania and Caswell Counties to use as a guide in developing strategies to improve the overall health of the community.
"One of our four areas of focus is health and wellness," said Karl Stauber, Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation. "We want to contribute to producing healthy people in healthy communities. To accomplish that goal, we begin by identifying the key health issues and learn where we stand as a community," said Stauber. "When we have collected the data and when we have the benefit of the opinions of the community, then the Foundation can consider long-term strategic action to address health issues.
The Foundation needs "to have an accurate and comprehensive picture of the community's health status, as well as ideas on how we can best utilize our resources," said Stauber.
"We take the snapshot by reaching out to the community to collect and analyze information, and that is what we expect to have from this assessment," Stauber continued. The assessment is also intended to identify individuals and organizations interested in addressing health issues and trends.
A team from the Office of Rural and Community Health of East Tennessee State University will conduct the assessment, which will include interviews with individuals, discussions with health-related organizations and meetings with groups that represent a cross-section of the community.
The health assessment will be completed in approximately 90 days. The Foundation also will be conducting two additional assessments, one on education and workforce development capacity and the second on economic and community development.
In its two years, the Regional Foundation has announced grants of approximately $17.5 million to five not-for-profit organizations and governing agencies in Danville, Pittsylvania and Caswell Counties.
The Danville Regional Foundation seeks to develop, promote and support activities that improve the health, education and wellbeing of the residents of the City of Danville and Pittsylvania County, VA and Caswell County, NC. The Foundation has awarded approximately $19.5 million to seven non-profit organizations or government agencies since its founding in 2005.