Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Tahoe Forest launches Community Health Index; diabetes and youth substance‑use work groups begin pilots
Summary
Hospital community-health staff presented a new Community Health Index with 15 metrics and two active work groups—A1C control (diabetes) and youth substance use—outlining data sources, early findings, a public dashboard prototype and planned interventions including virtual diabetes education and clinic surveys for youth substance use.
Tahoe Forest Health System staff presented progress on a newly established Community Health Index that will track 15 indicators across five priority areas to measure the system’s stated ‘‘community’’ strategic pillar.
Presenters Maria Martin (director of community health), Megan Shirley (population-health medical director) and Lizzie Hennessy (population-health analyst) said the index draws on internal Epic data, the California Healthy Kids Survey (TTUSD), the UCLA loneliness scale and the system’s community‑health needs assessment. The board heard a public‑facing dashboard prototype and an explanation of how the hospital selected metrics and Healthy People 2030 targets as ten‑year goals.
Two work groups launched in November: an internal A1C (diabetes control) work group led by endocrinologist Dr. Lisonbee Semranj and a youth substance‑use work group convened by the community collaborative and TTUSD with outside funding from the Katz Amsterdam Foundation. The A1C group’s initial data review found three reporting categories: in‑control, out‑of‑control and untested. Staff said the untested group is a substantial proportion of patients identified with diabetes in Epic; the work group will pursue chart review, improved lab access via an expanded community-lab program and a virtual diabetes-education class (evening, with hubs and Spanish-language options planned) plus 1:1 dietitian visits for high‑risk patients.
The youth substance‑use work group will field surveys through school wellness centers and clinic quality‑improvement channels, create a centralized online resource list with community partners, and roll out targeted parent‑education messaging. Presenters warned that local rates of vaping, binge drinking and other 30‑day youth substance use exceed Healthy People 2030 targets and may be underreported because of changing product names and stigma.
Staff emphasized the work‑group structure (charters, champions, cross‑sector partners), the time required to disaggregate data and design interventions, and constraints including staffing, funding and data‑extraction limits in Epic. The board was told that progress will be reported through a steering committee and existing committees as pilot interventions are refined.
