Rockford Regional Health Council (“the Council”) improves community health through data gathering and analysis, education, and advocacy. To address this mission, the Council conducts a triennial Healthy Community Study to identify trends and Strategic Priorities for positively impacting the quality of health in our region. The Role of the Council is to be a convener and a catalyst for collaboration, bringing organizations together around the Priorities to address community health.
In the 2020 Healthy Community Study, the Council identified three Strategic Priorities: Disinvested and Vulnerable Neighborhoods, Specific Morbidities, and Education and Advocacy (the “Priorities”). The Council identified three “Champion” organizations and convened them in a collaborative approach to the Priorities. These organizations have since been refining and implementing plans for the collaboration, building and strengthening existing efforts to improve community health outcomes.
The 2023 Healthy Community Study reaffirmed the Strategic Priorities. As part of this process, in October 2023 the Council convened three Stakeholder Engagement Sessions to educate participants on the work thus far and seek their feedback and suggestions for increasing its impact. This page summarizes the content of these Sessions.
The Shift
whole person health
The Rockford Regional Health Council (“The Council”) has been involved in efforts to address the Social Determinants of Health (“SDOH”) for many years. According to the American Hospital Association, access to healthcare and quality of services account for only 20% of a person’s health and wellbeing. The physical environment, social determinants and behavioral factors drive 80% of health outcomes.
The Council focuses on the whole person, and with the focus on SDOH and the recommendations in this report, the Council has shifted the framework for addressing community health. In 2020, through the work of the Role of Rockford Regional Health Council Ad-hoc Committee and subcommittees, the Council Board reaffirmed a focus on the Social Determinants of Health in an attempt to impact the health of the whole person.
That same year, through its Healthy Community Study – the Council’s primary data-gathering tool – three Strategic Priorities were identified: Disinvested and Vulnerable Neighborhoods, Specific Morbidities, and Education and Advocacy. Through the Study and subsequent conversations with key community stakeholders, long-term community health challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 Pandemic rose to the surface:
Mental and Social-Emotional Health
Kids are struggling – in education as well as mental and social-emotional health. The COVID-19 pandemic and the associated isolation and loss of social connection (schools closed, community organizations shut down, kids forced to stay at home during lockdown) was especially hard on our youth.
Access to care and services
Many organizations closed during the pandemic. Some never reopened; others returned at a significantly reduced capacity. Also, it has been challenging for organizations to reconnect with some target populations (particularly the homeless).
Education
Virtual learning was challenging for many students who lacked necessary tools or supports to ensure they maintained their educational performance. For many students, it was a lost year. Some stopped attending altogether; some of those never returned to class even when schools reopened.
Staff
At several of our key stakeholder organizations reported being unprepared for these new challenges – particularly the increased need for counseling and social-emotional support.
The Shift
early intervention
The Council identified kids and families as the target population for this work. In that light, a shift was needed. We needed to move away from the traditional ‘treat the symptom’ approaches and look upstream to earlier intervention for greater community impact.
Given shortfalls in workforce and resources, this shift required looking to build on existing collaborative efforts rather than create new programs, organizations, etc. When considering potential partners, three organizations (the “Champions”) were recognized as having a lengthy track record of success in positively impacting the lives of kids and families: the YMCA of Rock River Valley, Boys and Girls Clubs of Rockford, and the Rockford Park District. In 2021, after recognizing their commitment and initiatives to advance the priorities, the Council convened these organizations in partnership for the following purposes:
Recognize and bring a focus to the ways that their existing efforts impact health outcomes
Identify ways to build on those existing efforts for greater community health impact
Identify unmet needs that could further their efforts to advance the priorities.
In 2023, the Council completed an updated Healthy Community Study
Key findings from the new Study were reviewed, which reaffirmed the current Strategic Priorities. To engage the broader community in our work, in October of 2023, the Council convened three Stakeholder Engagement sessions. A wide variety of key community stakeholders participated in these sessions.
The goals for these sessions included:
Educate stakeholders about the Council’s three Strategic Priorities (Disinvested and Vulnerable Neighborhoods, Specific Morbidities, and Education and Advocacy)
Inform stakeholders about our partnership with three key organizations (“Champions”) and their work in addressing our priorities.
Generate concepts for further advancing the priorities through collaboration with the Champions and other community systems and organizations.
The Council’s Board of Directors, representing entities of health care, business, government, and nonprofit organizations, participated in the first session. A broad base of key community stakeholders participated in the second and third sessions. At each session, the Champions presented the results of the collaboration to date, as well as plans for the future. Stakeholders discussed what they heard from the Champions, identified gaps in services, and suggested concepts to further advance the Priorities.
The Council’s goal for these engagement sessions was to identify ways to build on these existing partnerships and advance the Council’s three priorities, significantly increasing the impact on the quality of health for kids and families in the region. Stakeholders were challenged to think about how their organization could engage to move the needle on the Priorities.
main questions
Several issues and concepts emerged during the sessions, resulting in four key questions coming to the forefront:
expand
How can we expand access to care?
strengthen
How can we strengthen partnerships between and among the three Champion organizations, other organizations, and larger systems (health, education, housing, transportation, etc.)?
increase
How can we increase health literacy and knowledge of related resources?
stability
How can we make sure that kids get what they need, specifically stability and one caring adult?
key focus areas
From the Stakeholder Engagement Sessions, four Key Focus Areas rose to the top:
expand
Expand Access to Care for kids and families, including both primary care and oral health care.
Improve
Improve Health Literacy and Health Equity through collaborative efforts.
increase
Increase Collaboration among community organizations.
Promote
Promote Social and Emotional Growth through programming, advocacy, and spreading awareness.
According to data collected by our Champions using the HelloInsights platform in 2023:
kids
Reported having no adults who they can count on for help.
Kids
Reported having no adults who pay attention to their lives.
Kids in Foster care
Within Winnebago County- the highest percentage of any county in IL
Caring adult
The key indicator of children’s resilience in the face of adversity, according to a Harvard University study.
Do you have an idea for bettering community health or need support for existing initiatives?
Get In Touch
The Role of the Council is to be a convener and a catalyst for collaboration; this can only occur with the presence of motivated and caring organizations throughout our community!