A local answer to a national problem
SPH instructor Dora Barilla, MPH, has turned her passion for health into a citywide outreach that will benefit the people of nearby Ontario, California—and, someday, beyond.
Though Ms. Barilla neither lives nor works in Ontario, she believes it is an anchor city in San Bernardino County, where Loma Linda University is located.
"The decisions that Ontario makes about health and health care today will impact our region for years," she says.
The outreach effort is called the Healthy Ontario Initiative. It aims to empower the community members of Ontario to take ownership of their health. The initiative is an independent collaboration of many organizations, with support from the city of Ontario.
"This is the opportune time and location to promote health as a part of health reform," says Ms. Barilla.
Ms. Barilla points out that Ontario is experiencing tremendous growth; the 173,000 population is expected to double in the next 10 years. Additionally, the city is working on updating its general plan; the results of the Healthy Ontario Initiative’s work can be used as a guideline for the city to include health measures in the plan.
Ms. Barilla and other initiative members hope to make Ontario a model city for the improvement of physical, social, and economic health and well-being.
Members of the initiative are creating a report of Ontario’s current strengths and weaknesses, a process that will reveal opportunities for improvement and motivate residents to become involved in improving the health of their community. They are also developing objectives and strategies that will lead to a healthier city population.
By early 2008, the leaders of Healthy Ontario will have completed a strategic plan that outlines the necessary changes and developments that must take place for Ontario to become a model city of health.
To ensure broad reach and success, the program brings together a diverse array of people from health care organizations, city government, fire and police departments, academia, community service organizations, and more.
"No one agency can do this alone. It’s too large of an issue," Ms. Barilla explains.
The initiative is governed by an executive advisory council of 15 members, including Gary Ovitt, supervisor of San Bernardino County’s Fourth District, and Paul Leon, the mayor of Ontario.
Supervisor Ovitt recently helped secure a $100,000 contract from the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors that is helping support the activities of the Healthy Ontario Initiative for more than six months.
"When health goals are built into Ontario’s infrastructure, people will be healthy because they will have available, affordable, and accessible resources to stay healthy," says Mayor Leon.
Several key indicators of health serve as guideposts for the members of the initiative:
- Physical activity
- Obesity
- Tobacco use
- Substance abuse
- Responsible sexual behavior
- Mental health
- Injury and violence
- Environmental quality
- Immunization
- Access to health care
The initiative will improve health in each of these categories through goals such as physical activity and access to nutritious foods. Four priority areas have been identified: safe neighborhoods, access to health care, prevention/wellness, and education/ lifelong learning.
The initiative has been a goal of Ms. Barilla’s for about five years.
"When you are called to something, it takes time, perseverance, and a lot of patience. I have often dreamed of creating health care that truly promotes health and is designed to meet the needs of the community it serves," says Ms. Barilla.
Since the idea was first born, Ms. Barilla and others such as Mayor Leon have been taking determined steps toward this important goal. The idea originated with a group of concerned community leaders who felt that the community could provide better health care. It has been nurtured along the way, taking it from vague ambiguity to measurable objectives and strategies.
Ontario is the third city in San Bernardino County to implement a healthy city program, and more are coming in 2008.
Mayor Leon has been a champion for health improvement for many years, and Healthy Ontario was a natural fit for his commitment.
"Without Ms. Barilla’s involvement, we would just be taking stabs in the dark," says Mr. Leon. "Her expertise is second to none, and her tenacity in detailing the minutia of health care is essential in giving us a clear view for formulating, documenting, and carrying out a cutting-edge, local answer to a national problem."