By Kim McDarison
Jefferson County and the Rock River Health Care Network (RRHCN) have announced that they were recently recognized in the 2021 Wisconsin Population Health and Equity Report Card within the framework of “Wisconsin Communities in Action.”
The report card is published by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, according to the release.
According to University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (UWPHI) President Sheri Johnson, as shared within the report card’s introductory letter, the report card is funded through the Wisconsin Partnership Program.
“UWPHI developed the report card to draw attention to how Wisconsin’s health compares to the nation as a whole by measuring the state’s progress toward improving health and eliminating disparities. The first report card was released in 2007 and was updated in 2010, 2013, and 2016. The report card underscores UWPHI’s commitment to translate research about population health for use in policy and practice,” Johnson wrote.
Within her letter, Johnson noted that the report card has evolved in content and format to “reflect important progress in the field of population health and equity.”
It includes:
• Quantitative data on how long and well people live in Wisconsin and disparities among specific groups and places.
• Qualitative data and stories aimed at illuminating context about what produces overall health and equity.
• Evidence-informed policies and practices to address unfair, avoidable, and systematic differences in health outcomes.
“These changes highlight how selected policies and systems have given advantages to certain groups and places while creating obstacles to health and well-being for others. The report card is intended to spark curiosity and commitment to explore new ways of understanding the health of the people of Wisconsin. We believe it is possible to use data, evidence, and stories to find common ground, cultivate social solidarity, and build the power needed to ensure everyone in Wisconsin has an opportunity to thrive,” Johnson wrote.
“The 2021 Wisconsin Population Health and Equity Report Card is a call to action to better understand the health of our communities and implement strategies to create conditions that allow all people to have a fair and just chance to lead the healthiest lives possible,” the report card’s introduction states, adding that it “reflects the UWPHI Mobilizing Action Toward Community Health (MATCH) Framework for Health Equity, which highlights the role of social and institutional power in health and health disparities. This framework focuses on who has the ability to make decisions, set agendas, and shape worldviews. The attention to power shifts the focus from individual behavior to our collective capacity to design and implement policies and systems that shape the community conditions that influence health.”
Within the document, efforts in Jefferson County were cited as follows: “In 2020, three clinics in Jefferson and Dodge counties merged to form Rock River Community Clinic (RRCC) to serve people who are medically underserved within their communities. The RRCC was established with support from an ongoing initiative in Jefferson County called the Rock River Health Care Network (RRHCN) that focuses on advance access to primary care for individuals of lower-income. The RRHCN was awarded a $900,000 grant to advance health equity in Jefferson and Dodge counties. One of its first activities was to assist RRCC in installing an electronic health record system and developing more robust clinical systems, including operationalizing a community-based health center.”
According to its website, the Rock River Health Care Network’s purpose “is to increase health equity in Jefferson and Dodge counties, Wisconsin, specifically focusing on low-income individuals’ (target population) access to primary care through a value-based approach that provides improved care and health at a lower cost.”
“Development of the RRHCN was made possible through a federal grant awarded to Fort HealthCare in 2020 through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Rural Health Network Development Program. The $900,000, three-year grant will enable the network to implement a strategic plan to meet project goals. The Steering Committee identifies potential projects and subcommittees are formed to further investigate the viability of these projects in meeting the needs of the target population and community,” information shared on the website continued.
For more information about the network, visit: https://www.forthealthcare.com/rock-river-health-care-network/.
The full 2021 Wisconsin Population Health and Equity Report Card is here: https://uwphi.pophealth.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/316/2022/03/2021WIPopHealthEquityReportCard_FINAL.pdf#:~:text=The%202021%20Wisconsin%20Population%20Health%20and%20Equity%20Report,just%20chance%20to%20lead%20the%20healthiest%20lives%20possible.
File photo/public domain.
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