OBJECTIVES
South Carolina Turning Point is an interactive process of merging community wisdom and professional expertise with political will to address health issues in South Carolina.
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Community wisdom: recognizes the important contributions of those with expertise.
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Professional expertise: recognizes the importance and value of community wisdom.
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Political will: includes commitments from public policy leaders, community groups, education, business, faith and medical communities, and others to improve the public's health.
SOUTH CAROLINA TURNING POINT OBJECTIVES:
Traditionally, public health in South Carolina has been seen as the responsibility of state agencies and the province of professional experts. While this reflects the important scientific foundation for most public health activities, it has also lead to a system that can be unresponsive to local concerns and that sometimes receives grudging political support. The challenge accepted by all state and local partners in South Carolina is to redefine roles and responsibilities for the public's health.
1. Reach common understanding among state and local partners of the current governmental public health system and new challenges and approaches for improving the public's health.
2. Identify key issues for improving the public's health related to Goal #1 and preferences for the missions, roles, and responsibilities of governmental public health agencies and others.
3. the existing public health system and identify changes needed to prepare it for future roles. Anticipated changes include:
Stronger state and local collaborative leadership to address
critical health problems;
Appropriate work force, including training or retraining public health and medical
professionals in new essential skills;
Better state and community data integration, analysis, and utilization;
Use of environmental and community perception data in public health assessments;
Incorporate new technology for information sharing, training, and community involvement;
Mechanisms for adequate funding of population-based and preventive services;
Improve the process of public health policy development thought community involvement,
quality data analysis and interpretation, and links with academic centers; and
Use of outcomes and performance measures, including community changes to evaluate
effectiveness of public health and environmental programs.
4.Develop an implementation plan with priority activities, resources required, and timetables.
5. Communicate results and gain support by educating, informing, and involving the people of South Carolina, community and state leaders, and workers within the current public health system.
