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Several new initiatives were launched in 2005 that address important emerging priorities of the
community. We established a Worksite Wellness Committee that is developing programs to improve the
health of our staff and local employers. The committee was instrumental in crafting our 100%
tobacco-free worksite policy and is working with community partners to identify the best ways to
assist local employers to create healthier work environments. Our Obesity Task Force is developing
programs to reduce obesity in community, healthcare, worksite, and school settings. We launched a
project to equip health care providers to more effectively address the growing problem of childhood
obesity. Data from pediatric practices will be analyzed and trainings will be offered to providers
to enhance their skills.
Our Office of Epidemiology and Surveillance has developed the ability to conduct community
cancer assessments. We provide a profile of the level and types of cancer within a given
community that shows whether rates are above what would normally be expected when compared to
national rates.
Finally, our School Health Advisory Committee began exploring a variety of options to help
schools understand the linkage between health and academic performance, and equip them to implement
public health prevention and intervention programs shown to positively impact the health of
students and staff.
We hope that it is very evident that we are committed to providing programming that addresses
underlying risk factors that have been associated with the leading causes of death. For example, we
know that the top three leading causes of death to residents in Cuyahoga County from 2000-2002 (the
most recent available data from the Ohio Department of Health) were:
1) Diseases of the Heart - accounting for 34.8% of all deaths in
Cuyahoga County;
2) Malignant Neoplasms (i.e. cancers) – accounting for 23.1%; and
3) Cerebrovascular Disease (e.g. stroke) – accounting for 5.7%.
The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
has indicated that there are major prevention opportunities to address risk factors that have
been associated with these three leading causes of death. These risk factors include high blood
pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, tobacco use, physical inactivity, poor nutrition, and being
overweight or obese. CCBH is committed to identifying and implementing programs that can have a
positive impact on reducing these risk factors.
A recent survey of over 1,700 kindergarteners across Cuyahoga County found that almost 36% of
these children were overweight or obese.
In 2005, CCBH held their first annual “Run for Your Life!” 5K race and 1 mile family fun walk
to promote increased physical activity among families and children. This event is done in
collaboration with the YMCA and our third annual event will be held at the County Fairgrounds in
Berea on April 14th of 2007.
Administration Services provides coordination for all of the policy, program planning,
grants
, fiscal, legal, information technology, and human resources functions of the agency. The
development of the annual strategic priorities and performance goals for CCBH across Environmental
Health, Nursing, Community Health and Epidemiology, Surveillance, and Informatics programs is
facilitated by Administration Services.
Community Health Services
employs dietitians, case management specialists, health educators, social workers, nurses, and
researchers that provide a broad range of health promotion and chronic disease prevention
services, as well as safety and nutrition programs designed to offer comprehensive and quality
services to our communities. This goal is met by collaborating with a broad base of community
groups and organizations that extends beyond Cuyahoga County to the entire Northeast Ohio
region.
Environmental Health Services
strives to promote health and quality of life by preventing or controlling adverse public
health outcomes that may result from interactions between people and their environment. Our core
programs focus on the prevention, identification and elimination of disease transmitted through
vectors, food, water, wastes, by air and by land. The application of assessment, sound science,
education, and public involvement fosters the necessary conditions for continually improving our
health and the environment.
Nursing Services
employs public health nurses that work collaboratively with individuals, families and
communities to identify, plan and deliver public health nursing programs that include immunizations
and lead screenings to children and adults; service coordination and home visiting to children with
special health care needs; quality health education to families and community agencies and a
comprehensive school health program to school districts throughout Cuyahoga County.
Epidemiology, Surveillance, & Informatics (ESI) Services
provides specialized technical support for all CCBH Service Areas. This support includes data
management and analysis, programmatic design and evaluation, research design and implementation, as
well as public health informatics activities. ESI is responsible for coordinating
communicable/infectious and chronic disease investigation and surveillance as well as emergency
preparedness issues. Many of our community health programs would not be possible without the
gracious support from the following community foundations and organizations:
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Office & Clinic Locations
