Background and Foundation

At the end of 2012, the Orange County Health Care Agency created the Orange County Community Health Planning Advisory Group to engage in a process to assess the county’s health and create a plan for a healthier Orange County. The Advisory Group was composed of representatives from 21 partner organizations including health care providers, academic institutions, collaboratives, community-based organizations, and other government programs. Utilizing the Mobilizing Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) model (see Planning Process), the Advisory Group identified four priority health areas for action: 1) Infant and Child Health; 2) Older Adult Health; 3) Obesity and Diabetes; and 4) Behavioral Health and improvements for the Orange County public health system. This community health improvement plan is the foundation of Orange County’s Healthier Together, a community-wide initiative that aligns public and private resources to improve health for all in Orange County. Because this plan focuses on a restricted number of priorities, not all health issues or community initiatives are identified in the plan. This does not negate the importance of other public health issues; nor does it imply that resources and services should not continue for other public health needs. The plan is intended to bring the community together around a limited number of issues with the greatest opportunity for health improvements through collective efforts. The plan considered the following foundational principles shown in the graphic below:  Life course approach: The plan reflects an approach that each life stage influences the next and that social, economic, and physical environments interacting across the life course have a profound impact on individual and community health.  Cross-cutting health issues: The goals for the priority areas include health issues that cut across the priority areas. As an example, efforts to improve infant and child health such as promotion of breastfeeding may also reduce rates of obesity and diabetes. In the same way, efforts to improve alcohol and drug misuse, may also improve birth outcomes.  Public health system improvements: At the foundation of these strategies is a wellfunctioning public health system. Improvements to the system have the potential to impact all of these priority areas; while efforts to improve systems supporting each area would contribute to improvements in the overall public health system.

Healthy birth outcomes

Healthy infant and child outcomes Healthy weight Reduced rates of diabetes

Mental and emotional wellbeing Reduced alcohol and drug misuse

Wellness and quality of life for older adults

Arrow depicts life course approach and cross-cutting effects of health issues.