IPHA 2011-2012 Annual Report - Illinois Public Health Association

President’s Message“The work ofpublic health andIPHA has alwaysbeen challenging.Together we haveworked smarteron defining ameasurable set ofstrategies and goalsfor ourselves.”See what we are doing together...It is a privilege to introduce the Illinois Public Health Association’s 2012 AnnualReport. The Association has had a busy and productive year fostered by aninsightful and committed executive leadership and resourceful staff. The culture ofan organization is defined more by the actions taken and what’s being done thanby what is being said and discussed. I would suggest by either measure we’ve hada successful year in pursuit of implementing IPHA’s strategic plan (2010-2015) andmission to lead and advance public health practice in Illinois. This strategic planfocuses on four strategies: 1) Build the capacity of Illinois’ public health system;2) Pursue effective public health policy change; 3) Increase involvement ofmembership; and 4) Growth in a public health culture that is more assertive.IPHA’s top priority over the past year has been the urgent initiative to consolidatethe currently scattered maternal and child health services under the leadership ofthe Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). This effort has engaged all of thestrategies established in the strategic plan and has united the public health practicecommunity in Illinois behind reintegrating maternal, infant and early childhoodprogramming with other essential public health services, including communicabledisease, chronic disease management and environmental health interventions.This was boldly undertaken realizing full well the challenge that it represents, butis more than balanced by the public health benefit of improved outcomes in thehealth of our children. This effort thus far has involved the development of a broadlydistributed whitepaper, the development of comprehensive legislation (HB5363),meetings with the Governor’s staff, the Secretary of IDHS and the Director of IDPHand an appointment to and service on the Human Services Commission developingrecommendations on rationalizing the service delivery system.This has also been an aggressive year in the pursuit of grant support for publichealth practice needs. This includes IPHA support and partnership work withIDPH and local health departments (LHDs) in preparation of a competitive grantproposal to CDC that ultimately lead to the We Choose Health Community TransformationGrant bringing $4.5 million per year over the next five years to supportchronic disease interventions at the community level through IDPH. Anothersuccessful funding initiative ($450,000 over two years) was an IPHA application toCDC to develop the capacity for third-party billing and reimbursement in supportof LHDs currently without such capacity. And finally, while a funding decisionis still pending, IPHA’s Maternal and Child Health (MCH) section convened aworkgroup and successfully completed an application for funding for the StrongStart Coalition to reduce preterm births through closer collaboration between MCHhome visiting, support services and primary care providers at the community level.The work of public health and IPHA has always been challenging. Together we haveworked smarter on defining a measurable set of strategies and goals for ourselves.With an action-oriented staff, a “can do” attitude and a membership committed tomaking a difference, IPHA is striving to create an improved 21st Century public healthsystem capable of greater levels of health improvement for individuals, familiesand communities across Illinois. See what we are doing together.4J. Maichle Bacon, MPHPresident, IPHA