
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, March 7, 1991                   TAG: 9103070145
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-8   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: FLOYD                                LENGTH: Medium

PATCH HELPS COMMUNITY HEALTH EDUCATION

There's a new way for health educators in Floyd County to determine what to teach: the Planned Approach to Community Health program.

Floyd County is the first locality in Virginia to adopt this program, developed by the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. The program stresses community involvement and decision-making in health education.

Statistics and other information are made available to community members through a series of meetings. Then, the group decides on the focus for health education in the county.

"Floyd [County] was chosen because the health educator is mainly based in Floyd," said Dr. Margaret Robinson, director of the New River Health District. "She [Susan Fisher] works throughout the New River District, but she is based in Floyd. Thus, we felt [Floyd] was a good place to start. She knows the county a little bit better, and the people of the county know her a little bit better."

So far, Floyd and the planned community approach have been a good match. Two meetings have drawn about 20 people each. Surveys distributed throughout the county are yielding valuable information. And a good discussion has ensued about the health education needs of Floyd County.

"It's generally been received pretty well," said Fisher, who worked on a community involvement program in South Carolina. "It's the community taking ownership" of the program, she said. "The residents know the county better than anyone else."

It probably will take about two more months for a concise health education strategy for Floyd County to develop from the program. Fisher hoped some sort of "kick-off" program - either a health fair or an education program - would be held in late April or early May.

Until then, the group will continue to collect and discuss information on health issues in Floyd County and work on turning those bits of information into ideas.

"It's a worthwhile program," said county extension agent Dawn Barnes, whose area of responsibility includes family wellness matters. "It's working more successfully than one person or one entity trying to decide on the program's approach."

The next community meeting for the program will be March 14 at 7 p.m. in the Floyd County School Board office's meeting room.

by CNB