OFFICERS

Chairperson:
Billie Jane Valente
Family Services

Vice Chairperson:
Roger Dextradeur

Secretary:
Jameson Souza

Treasurer:
Marcia Picard

WORK GROUP
 CHAIRS & STAFF

Access to Healthcare
Paula Harrison

Healthy Lifestyles
Susan Sterrett
Fall River School Dept

Healthy Youth
Jameson Souza
Christian McCloskey

Healthy City Initiative
David Weed

STEERING COMMITTEE

PatBebo
UMass Ext. Nutrition Education Program
Marie Chase
South Bay Mental Health
Judith Coykendall
Partners for Clean Air
Roger Dextradeur
Habit Management, Inc.
Jenny Diblasi
United Neighbors of FR
Patricia Fanning
FR Family Service Assn.
Marilyn Edge
Tobacco Control
Frances Fuller
Southcoast Hospitals Group
Paula Harrison
HealthFirst Family Care Center
Robin Jones
Early Intervention/
People Inc.
Bea Medeiros
Corrigan Mental Health
Kelly Nevins
BMC Health Net
Marcia Picard
Children In Balance
City of Fall River
Paul Quinn
St. Anne's Hospital
Gladys Rosofsky
St. Anne's Parish Nurses
Lynda Sampson
CFC Family Planning.
Karen Scott-Statser
Bristol Elder Services
Jameson Souza
CD Re-creation
Susan Sterrett
Fall River School Dept.
Billie Jane Valente
Family Service Assoc.
David Weed
Healthy City Fall River
Denise Wright
SSTAR Family Healthcare

MA DEPT. OF PUBLIC HEALTH LIAISONS

Michael Coughlin
Joan Gancarski
Maria Evora-Rosa
Ron O'Connor

SE CENTER FOR HEALTHY COMMUNITIES LIAISON
Lisa Marschke
Sarah Parmenter

Partners for a Healthier Community
72 Bank Street, P.O. Box 1228
Fall River, MA 02720
 

Partners for a Healthier Community is Number 25 of the 27 CHNAs organized by the Department of Public Health (DPH) across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The goal of Partners is to establish a working partnership between DPH and area residents to improve health status in the four communities of Fall River, Somerset, Swansea and Westport.

Since its inception Partners has been a catalyst in bringing new healthcare and related resources to the Greater Fall River area. The Well Women Project and the Medi-Call Programs were awarded to Fall River with the support of Partners. In 1998, Partners was awarded a grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to establish a "Master Community Action Plan" (MCAP) for the community. Through the MCAP process, Partners has engaged the community in a strategic planning process to improve coordination of health services.

Partners for a Healthier Community has repeatedly and successfully mobilized community resources to address identified community health needs. It is our vision to expand resources and services to better meet the needs of all residents in the Greater Fall River area and ultimately build a healthier community. The most recent example of that effort is embodied in the Healthy City Fall River initiative, a nationally-recognized model of community health promotion.

Our Vision

Building healthy communities is a shared responsibility. Partners for a Healthier Community has mounted a combined effort involving all sectors of our communities - - community residents, health professionals, government, business leaders, clergy, and schools - - to improve the health and quality of life for all residents of Fall River, Somerset, Swansea, and Westport. Our effort mirrors similar projects in communities across the nation and around the world - people coming together to work cooperatively to solve problems and improve the health and quality of life for the entire community. A healthy community is one that is continually creating and improving itself to ensure a healthy environment for all residents.

Partners has adopted the World Health Organization's description of a healthy community:

• high levels of community participation in all aspects of community life;
• health care services which focus on prevention and staying healthy;
• a non-violent and safe community environment;
• plenty of affordable housing;
• employment and educational opportunities for all;
• accessible recreation opportunities;
• safe and healthy workplaces;
• accessible transportation systems; 
• healthy and safe environment.

Structure

Partners is a not-for-profit corporation in Massachusetts (Partnership for a Healthier Community, Inc.*) governed by a 15-25 member Steering Committee elected bi-annually by the general membership at its annual meeting held in Fall of each year (see By-Laws). Officers of the Steering Committee are elected annually by members of the Steering Committee. Other standing committees of Partners include a Nominating, Membership and By-Laws Committee. Ad hoc committees are appointed as needed. 

The work of Partners is performed in task forces or Work Groups designated by the Steering Committee to focus on one area of concern identified through a periodic needs assessment process. Membership on the Work Groups is open to any person who has an interest in working on these task forces. Meeting times and locations are posted on the Partners Calendar.

Funding

Partners for a Healthier Community, Inc. receives funds for Innovative Community Activities from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and linkage funds from Magnetic Resonance Imaging agencies: Shields Healthcare, Southeastern Massachusetts MRI and Southcoast Hospitals Group.

Partners also works collaboratively with its members to develop grants that will bring in funds to support prevention and health initiatives in the Greater Fall River Area. The master Community Action Planning Process as well as the MassCALL award are two examples of our achievements brining in more than $150,000 to the community.

In 2003, Partners was funded by the Harvard-Pilgrim Healthcare Foundation for the first year of operations for the Healthy City Fall River initiative. This project is a collaborative effort with the Mayor's Office of the City of Fall River to improve the overall health and quality of life of those who live and work in the City using the Healthy Cities model adopted by the World Health Organization.

*EIN 04-3409125.