Community Health Connections
April 2022 - Vol.3, Issue 4
Climate has major effects on population health
April 22 is Earth Day. It’s a time to join forces and commit to an action plan to take better care of our world, which will help to take better care of people. One of the largest threats affecting people’s health is climate change. Climate change affects clean air, safe drinking water, food, and shelter – all Social Determinants of Health.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year, from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea, and heat stress.”
Community Care HUB CHWs use pathways
Since its inception in 2020, the Community Care HUB has been meeting participants where they are at to improve their health and well-being. The HUB follows the nationally recognized and evidence-based Pathways Community HUB Institute (PCHI) model developed by Drs. Sarah and Mark Redding.

Face-to-face visiting between Community Health Workers (CHWs) and participants is a top priority. Six CHWs are employed by HUB Care Coordination Agencies – Alleghenies United Cerebral Palsy, Beginnings, Inc., and Community Action Partnership of Cambria County.
Black Maternal Health Week takes place in April
Black Maternal Health Week falls in the second week of April; appropriately, it takes place during National Minority Health Month. While minorities face disparities across all health systems, Black women and mothers face a disproportionate number of concerns before, during, and after pregnancy.

The 2021 County Health Rankings reported that 9% of babies born in Cambria County were low birth rate, compared to 16% of Black births.

Johnstown had the highest rate of low birth weight babies to Black mothers in the state at 19.5%.
Food insecurity is a concerning SDOH
Feeding America defines food insecurity “as a lack of consistent access to enough food for every person in a household to live an active, healthy life.” According to the USDA, 38.3 million people, including 12 million children, in the United States lived in food-insecure households in 2020.

The City of Johnstown is designated as the poorest community in Pennsylvania:
  • 8% of workers are unemployed
  • 38.4% of people are living in poverty – Pennsylvania’s poverty rate is about 13%
  • Since 2015, one-third of Johnstown’s population has been rated low-income with low access to food stores
  • Farmer’s Markets rate is 0.03% per 1,000 people
News Bites
Organizations to launch Community Health Needs Assessment in May
In May, the Conemaugh Health System, 1889 Foundation, United Way of the Laurel Highlands, and 1889 Jefferson Center for Population Health will be launching the 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA).

A CHNA is a systematic collection, assembly, analysis, and dissemination of information about the health of the community. Its role is to identify factors that affect the health of a population and determine the availability of resources within the community to adequately address those factors. The CHNA will help to augment many other community wellness and redevelopment efforts in our region already underway, and provide the supporting data needed for decision making across these multiple initiatives.

A survey of our community members and community-based organizations will be distributed in the coming weeks and we ask that you please consider participating. More information to come!
Jammin' 4 Jabs scheduled for Saturday, May 21
Jammin' 4 Jabs is being held Saturday, May 21 at Peoples Natural Gas Park in Johnstown. Sponsored by In This Together Cambria, the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, and the Tribune-Democrat, the daylong musical event will raise vaccination awareness.

The Classic Vinyl Concert Series Band will present Stevie Wonder's "Songs in the Key of Life." Smooth Sound Band will be the special guest.

The event is free to anyone who shows a vaccination card or receives a free vaccination on site. Highlands Health will be administering Pfizer vaccines (first, second, and boosters).

Schedule:
  • 1:30 p.m.-Gates open
  • 2:15-3:45 p.m.-Smooth Sound Band
  • 4:30 - 7 p.m. - Classic Vinyl Concert Series Band
WalkWorks Wednesdays is back!
WalkWorks Wednesdays has returned! Meet us at the Cambria County Library (corner of Walnut and Main streets) at noon on Wednesdays (April 27 through June 1) for fun conversations and a great afternoon walk.
1889 JCPH hosting event at Johnstown Mill Rats baseball game
The 1889 Jefferson Center for Population Health is teaming up with the Johnstown Mill Rats baseball team to host a Health and Wellness/Social Services night Friday, July 8.

The night out is an opportunity for attendees to learn more about the health, wellness, and social services available to them.

Stop by and learn more about the services all while taking in a ball game.

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