The Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD), located in Clark County, Nevada is proposing the Southern Nevada Health District Community Partnership to Promote Health Equity project. SNHD is one of the largest local public health organizations in the U.S. serving the needs of more than 2.3 million people and 73% of Nevada’s population. Clark County is the most racially and ethnically diverse county in Nevada with Hispanic persons making up 32.3% of the population and 13.6% of Black persons. The proposed project follows the CDC Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) logic model framework and utilizes community and coalition partners actively engaged in program planning, implementation, and evaluation. The proposed Work Plan is intended to contribute to decreasing or eliminating health disparities among Black and Hispanic persons (the priority populations) in Clark County, Nevada. Findings from the 2021 Southern Nevada Community Health Assessment, and other relevant data sources, were used to identify the priority populations and identify chronic disease rates, risk factors, and disparities. To reach the priority populations, zip codes were identified where more than 20% of households have incomes at or below the federal poverty level. While several initiatives will have community-wide impact, all strategies and activities will focus improving health equity for residents living in these geographic areas.
The Work Plan uses SMARTIE (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Based, Inclusive, Equitable) objectives and evidence-based strategies that will achieve project outcomes. Each strategy will utilize culturally and linguistically tailored approaches. Health equity assessments and communications activities are included in each component of the Work Plan. The Work Plan addresses strategies and activities under Component A: Nutrition (a/b), Physical Activity, Tobacco, and Component B: Adult Vaccination. All strategies, activities, and outcomes are designed to build upon, and leverage successes that will contribute to improved health behaviors and reduced health disparities. Proposed outcomes for Year 1 include: Nutrition: (a) establishing and promoting nutrition guidelines and organizational policies in at least two food pantries serving priority populations; and (b) working with partners to leverage resources and expand existing fruit and vegetable nutrition incentive programs to at least 1 new food retail location serving priority populations. Physical Activity: Developing a Safe Routes to Parks program in the City of Las Vegas and expanding the Bike Share network to geographic areas serving priority populations. Tobacco: Adopting or strengthening new, jurisdiction-wide, or voluntary commercial tobacco prevention and control policies protecting a minimum of 20,000 people from priority populations. Adult Vaccines: Providing at least twenty opportunities for people in priority populations to easily access Flu, COVID-19, and other routine vaccinations.
The project will be housed in the SNHD’s Office of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (CDPHP). CDPHP will draw upon the experience of the project’s existing community coalition, the Nevada Minority Health and Equity Coalition (NMHEC). NMHEC’s mission is to eliminate health disparities and to improve the health and well-being of underserved Nevadans. The NMHEC will work in partnership with a network of community partners and SNHD to employ evidence and population-based strategies using a Community Based Participatory Approach.
SNHD has assembled a well-qualified and highly motivated set of public health professionals, coalitions, and contractors with demonstrated capacity in communications, community engagement, health equity, programming, administration, evaluation and fiscal management necessary to ensure successful implementation of the proposed Work Plan and, ultimately, improve health outcomes in the priority populations.
