Grant County Community Health Council Emerging Infectious Diseases Task Force
A healthy economy requires a healthy community.
Background: We are working together to mount a coordinated community-wide response to COVID-19 in Grant County. We are using the C ollective Impact model,1 an evidence-based framework for community action, to design the initiative. Collective Impact “refers to the commitment of a group of important actors from different sectors to a common agenda for solving a specific social problem at scale.” The basic elements of Collective Impact are:
- A common agenda: Coming together to collectively define the problem and create a shared vision to solve it.
- Shared measurement: Agreeing to track progress in the same way, which allows continuous improvement.
- Mutually reinforcing activity: Coordinating collective efforts to maximize the end result.
- Continuous communication: Building trust and relationships among all participants.
- Backbone support: A team dedicated to orchestrating the work of the group.
Our Mission: The GCCHC Infectious Diseases Taskforce organizes, aligns, and secures resources to assure that Grant County can prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from the medical, economic, and social threats and hazards posed by infectious disease outbreaks. Our current priority is COVID-19.
Our Vision: Si se puede! Yes we can!
- We will work together to eliminate COVID-19 in Grant County so that our residents, businesses, schools, and economy can thrive.
- We will be a role model statewide for COVID-19 prevention, mitigation, and recovery.
Our Goals:
- Mount a nonpartisan, evidence-based, data-driven response to control the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate its impact in Grant County
- Provide our community with accurate, science-based information
- Ensure our health-care system is not overwhelmed and protect our health-care workers
- Support effective reopening of the community including businesses, childcare, schools, and government agencies
- Identify and address gaps in social safety-net and public safety services
For a description of the model, see The Community Toolbox: https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/overview/models-for-community-health-and-development/collective-impact/main
