Media contact:
Wendi Jackson
386-281-6423
Chd64pio@flhealth.gov

Jaffy Lee (Flagler)
(386) 313-7114
Jaffy.Lee@flhealth.gov

Daytona Beach, FL – Volusia and Flagler County residents now have a new roadmap by which to plot a course to better overall health.

The Florida Department of Health in Volusia and Flagler counties worked in collaboration with multiple partners including AdventHealth, Flagler Cares, Flagler County, Volusia County, the Early Learning Coalition of Flagler & Volusia and SMA Healthcare to publish the 2023-2025 Community Health Improvement Plan or CHIP. 

A community health improvement plan is a long-term, systematic effort to address public health concerns in a community. The plan is based on the results of health assessment activities and is part of a community health improvement process. The plan features collaborative initiatives to address the identified health priorities (access to behavioral health services, economic and social barriers and system infrastructure) in the 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment.

The collaborative CHIP was developed with input from a variety of community partners representing both Flagler and Volusia counties and defines the priorities for the community’s health. Community ownership is a fundamental component of community health improvement planning. The assessment also provides elected and community leaders a tool that can guide actions to address identified gaps in the provision of health care locally.

Stephen Civitelli, RS, MPH Administrator of the Department of Health in Volusia County, said, “The completion of the CHIP is an important step for the department of health and our community partners to evaluate the strengths of our local public health systems and opportunities for advancing health priorities. I’m thankful for the collaboration, communication and coordination from residents and stakeholders who provided feedback of local priorities. We look forward to continuing build on the foundational systems to promote better health outcomes for all who call Volusia County their home.”

Bob Snyder, Administrator of the Department of Health in Flagler County said, “The collaborative engaged community partners, used data, focus groups and resident interviews to assess our needs and assets with the goal of identifying our community resources along with strengths and barriers and developing a deeper understanding of access to care challenges for all population. The partners were able to discuss and prioritize opportunities for populatio health improvement and recommend strategies and actions to address greater access to behavioral health services, including mental health and substance use disorders, related economic and social barriers for healthier communities and improving knowledge about health services that are available. An example of coordinated action is the CORe (Coordinated Opioid Recovery Network) grant, that has resulted in a system of care to treat patients seeking a life of sobriety rather than addiction to fentanyl and other dangerous, life-threatening drugs. CORe involves a partnership with the hospital’s emergency room, Flagler Cares, peer support specialists through Flagler OARS, Flagler County Community Paramedics and Outreach Community Care Network behavioral health providers. All are dedicated to a system of coordinated care for the whole person in addressing Flagler County’s high overdose death rate per capita due to substance use disorders.”

The CHIP Leadership Team will meet semi-annually to report on the progress of each strategic objective. Stories related to CHIP activities and accomplishments will be shared with the community at VolusiaHealth.com/data. CHIPs are intended to be adaptive plans that evolve as new complexities emerge within our local public health system.

About the Florida Department of Health

 The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.

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