In 2021, the Potomac Health Foundation (PHF) awarded IPHI a grant to support the CHCGPW and advance its goals. The Greater Prince William (GPW) areas include Prince William County, the City of Manassas, and the City of Manassas Park. After a successful partnership, PHF will continue to support another year of funding in 2023. To view the CHCGPW, steering committee, and co-chair 2023 meetings schedule, click: here.

The CHCGPW works toward a healthy and happy future for GPW residents by:

• Conducting Community Health Assessments (CHA) to identify the public health issues residents face,
• Developing, implementing, and evaluating the activities in the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), a plan addressing the issues found in the CHA,
• Identifying ways to efficiently and effectively use limited resources,
• Engaging community members with lived experiences while planning and implementing evidence-based interventions.

As part of the CHIP action plan goals, the CHCGPW accomplished the following:

Community input – Ensure all residents have the opportunity to provide input about their neighborhood and built environment for Prince William County’s (PWC) 2040 Comprehensive Plan. 

• Worked with members and the PWC planning division to make recommendations about equity and community engagement for the PWC 2040 Comprehensive Plan.
• Designed a survey for Prince William Health Department (PWHD) to administer to vulnerable areas.
• Analyzed and shared data from 381 residents with GPW planning divisions. The findings revealed community members’ concern for pedestrian safety, community safety, barriers to youth programs, and access to basic needs and affordable housing.

Community safety – Identify interventions to decrease firearm violence in communities most impacted by firearm injury.

• Distributed materials for safe firearm storage to healthcare providers in GPW.
• Promoted a firearm safety screening survey to healthcare providers.
• Partnered with Team Quest, a mentoring program for teens needing positive social support in GPW. Team Quest is a free program for opportunity youth directed by a collaborative multidisciplinary team of community stakeholders.

Transportation safety – Evaluate areas that put pedestrians and cyclists at injury risk. 

• Encouraged improvements to pedestrian safety infrastructure in the mobility chapter of the PWC 2040 Comprehensive Plan.
• Collaborated with planning stakeholders to update an aspirational map of recreational and transportation trails to improve neighborhood walkability and recreational opportunities.

Housing Resource Guide – Collect and verify resources for a housing resource guide.

• Identified needs to serve as the basis for the community awareness campaign.
• Created a fact sheet on the intersections between health and the neighborhood and built environment.
• Created a housing resource guide that includes housing-related concerns and other basic needs for proper resources.

Communication – Enhance the CHCGPW brand for community awareness.

• Established a dedicated program manager position.
• Refreshed CHCGPW’s logo, email header, and PowerPoint template.
• Created branded fact sheets and flyers to inform community members about upcoming events.
• Launched a monthly newsletter to increase connectivity and coordination across CHCGPW partners. The content includes updates, GPW area events, resources, and more.

The CHIP identified three priority areas:

1. The neighborhood and built environment
2. Education opportunities
3. Marketing, outreach, and advocacy

The CHCGPW created a Neighborhood & Build Environment (NBE) Workgroup to address the conditions where community members live, work, learn, and play. In addition to NBE contributions, the CHCGPW led three Community of Practice (CoP) sessions for community engagement.

Resources:

• Pedestrian Safety Report
• Pedestrian Safety Infographic – English | Spanish

If you’re interested in receiving updates, joining meetings, or participating in work groups, click: here.