United Way of Southeastern Idaho - Bannock County
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The United Way of Southeastern Idaho (UWSEI) started their four-year Get Healthy Idaho initiative in Bannock County in October 2021. The first year of the initiative was dedicated to engaging the community, building partnerships, conducting a health needs assessment, and developing a community driven action plan. Implementation of the action plan began in October 2022 and is focused on alleviating transportation barriers for underserved community members.
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COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Bannock County's health needs were identified through surveys, focus groups, interviews, and a review of existing data. To reach high need populations, input was specifically gathered from community members who utilize the Pocatello Free Clinic, Pocatello Senior Center, and Valley Mission, which provides food boxes. The assessment found high unmet needs around housing, food, utilities, transportation, and clothing, particularly among those respondents under 50 years of age. The full Community Health Assessment is included in the first part of the Bannock County Action Plan.
COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN IMPLEMENTATION & EVALUATION
The Bannock County Action plan grew out of the community needs assessment and, consists of three main components:
1. Continued community engagement
2. Public information campaign to promote a wider understanding of health equity
3. Development and operation of a transportation pilot, Ride United
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Ride United is coordinated with existing public transportation services to fill gaps and provide direct point to point transportation for underserved residents to health promoting services. The Bannock County team chose to focus on transportation because it was an identified community need that also supports access to other unmet needs identified in the community health needs assessment.
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The Bannock County Health Collaborative evaluation highlights lessons learned and successes of the work through the first year of action plan implementation including from Ride United.
PARTNERSHIPS
The Pocatello Free Clinic and Idaho State University serve on the United Way of Southeastern Idaho's (UWSEI) Community Action Team and are closely involved in designing and executing all aspects of the initiative. The team has also been working with a wide range of community partners to understand needs and to develop and implement their action plan. Many of these broad community partners along with the UWSEI have joined the safe transportation systems collaborative facilitated by the Southeast Idaho Council of Governments to advance the transportation goals of the Community Action Plan.
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Questions about Get Healthy Idaho can be directed to: GetHealthyIdaho@dhw.idaho.gov or learn more about the work in Bannock County through the United Way of Southeastern Idaho social media channels.