Irene Smith

Health Action is a process conducted by a team of committed organizations seeking community input to improve health in Jefferson County, Alabama. This collaboration resulted in the book, Our Community Roadmap to Health, containing the issues and goals to be addressed by the local public health partners. Results indicate that Jefferson County has a solid public health infrastructure and is able to address the essential public health services. However, there are significant opportunities to improve services by Jefferson County’s public health system for the citizens of the county. By engaging “health partners,” goals have been developed to create sustained efforts in addressing health issues. Any agency, group, or citizen who has a stake in the health of the community is a potential partner, including governmental, public, private, non-profit, and voluntary agencies, as well as groups and individuals committed to the delivery of public health services. This is an ongoing process that determines priority community health needs, gathers scarce community resources, and creates action plans to improve the health of the community.