Mission
Promoting overall wellness and empowering residents
Vision
Working collaboratively to optimize the health and well-being of Defiance County
POWER Defiance County is the coalition which develops, monitors, and implements the Defiance County Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). The CHIP is a blueprint for improving the health and health-related systems of our community. The 2022-2024 CHIP was informed by the Community Health Assessment (CHA) which involved public input and data analysis to identify major health-related needs of our community. This includes a series of surveys, community meetings, and a review of local, regional, state, and national statistics. The coalition reviewed information concerning the health and social challenges Defiance County adults, youth and children may be facing. They determined priority issues which if addressed, could improve future outcomes, determined gaps in current programming and policies and examined best practices and solutions. The coalition has recommended specific action steps they hope many agencies and organizations will embrace to address the priority issues in the coming months and years.
The CHA and CHIP process involved leaders and community members from multiple sectors including health care, social services, education, public safety, government, and more. We would like to recognize the following partners and thank them for their dedication to the Community Health Improvement Process.
POWER Defiance County Community Partners
Ayersville Local Schools
City of Defiance
Community Memorial Hospital
Defiance Area Foundation
Defiance Area YMCA
Defiance City Schools
Defiance County Commissioners
Defiance County Drug Free Coalition
Defiance County General Health District
Defiance County Juvenile Court
Defiance County Ohio State University Extension Office
Defiance Development and Visitors Bureau
Defiance Dream Center
Defiance Public Library System
Defiance 2100
Fairview School District
Family and Children First Council
Four County ADAMhs Board
Hicksville Schools
Hicksville Village
Maumee Valley Guidance Center
Maumee Valley Planning Organization
Mercy Health Defiance
Ministerial Association
Northeastern Local Schools
Northwestern Ohio Community Action Commission
ProMedica Defiance Regional Hospital
Recovery Services of Northwest Ohio
The Ridge Project
United Way of Defiance County
Hospital Council of Northwest Ohio (HCNO)
The community health improvement process was facilitated by Gabrielle Mackinnon, Community Health
Improvement Manager, from Hospital Council of Northwest Ohio.
The goal in collaboration is to improve the behavioral, physical, mental and social health and overall well-being of our community. There are many factors that affect one’s health; collaboration encourages connecting, coordination and working together around common goals to help strengthen the programs, services, and resources that create a healthy community.
How did we get here?
The Community Health Improvement Process is an in depth process. Beginning in July 2021, POWER Defiance County met four (4) times and completed the following planning steps:
1. Initial Meeting
• Review the process and timeline
• Finalize committee members
• Create or review vision
2. Choose Priorities
• Use of quantitative and qualitative data to prioritize target impact areas
3. Rank Priorities
• Rank health problems based on magnitude, seriousness of consequences, and feasibility of correcting
4. Community Themes and Strengths Assessment
• Open-ended questions for committee on community themes and strengths
5. Forces of Change Assessment
• Open-ended questions for committee on forces of change
6. Local Public Health Assessment
• Review the Local Public Health System Assessment with committee
7. Gap Analysis
• Determine discrepancies between community needs and viable community resources to address local priorities
• Identify strengths, weaknesses, and evaluation
8. Quality of Life Survey
• Review the process and timeline
• Finalize committee members
• Create or review vision
9. Strategic Action Identification
• Identification of evidence-based strategies to address health priorities
10. Best Practices
• Review of best practices, proven strategies, evidence continuum, and feasibility continuum
11. Resource Assessment
• Determine existing programs, services, and activities in the community that address specific strategies
12. Draft Plan
• Review of all steps taken
• Action step recommendations based on one or more of the following: enhancing existing efforts, implementing new programs or services, building infrastructure, implementing evidence-based practices, and feasibility of implementation.
Through completion of the CHIP Process, POWER Defiance established six (6) priorities. Based on the chosen priorities, POWER Defiance was asked to identify strategies for each priority area. Members referenced a list of evidence-based strategies recommended by the Ohio State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP), as well as brainstormed for other impactful strategies.
Below are the top priorities and corresponding strategies selected for the 2022-2024 CHIP
Explore the resources below to learn more about the Defiance County Community Health Assessment (CHA) and Defiance County Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). New to the CHA and CHIP? A good place to start is the CHIP Talking Points and CHIP Summary. Questions may be directed to the Health Promotion Division at DCGHD by calling 419-784-3818.
The next POWER Defiance County Meeting is November 2, 2023 at 8:30 am at Defiance County East in the 2nd Floor Conference Room.
CHA and CHIP Releases
Previous CHA & CHIP Releases
Defiance County CHIP 2019-2021
Defiance County CHA 2018
Defiance County CHIP 2016-2018
Defiance County CHA 2015
Additional Resources