Practice Title: Virtual Programming at the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County

Department: Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County
Size: Large (Population of 500,000+ people)
State: Florida

Summary of Practice: 

The Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County (DOH-Hillsborough) has over 400 employees serving in seven divisions across Hillsborough County.  The Office of Health Promotion and Education within the division of Community Health in DOH-Hillsborough has a team dedicated to serving the residents of Hillsborough County through implementing programs for chronic disease prevention and education.  DOH-Hillsborough provides public health services to approximately 1,408,566 people in Hillsborough County Florida which is located along the central west coast of Florida.  Hillsborough County is the fourth most populous county in Florida including the metropolitan City of Tampa and several rural communities that include a large Hispanic migrant population.  Residents of Hillsborough County are 49.1% white non-Hispanic, 28.6% Hispanic, 17.8% black non-Hispanic and 4.3% Asian. 

The Office of Health Promotion and Education at DOH-Hillsborough has spent over a decade focusing on decreasing obesity and diabetes rates in Hillsborough County through group, in-person education including  Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME), the CDC’s Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) and the NACCHO Model Practice Award winning Get Into Fitness Today (GIFT) programs.  Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, DOH-Hillsborough facilitated in-person programming at various community sites throughout Hillsborough County with the emphasis on bringing education to the public in order to limit transportation and time barriers.  The team also emphasized group support and instructor lead facilitation rather than didactic-style teaching methods to ensure effective programmatic outcomes.  However, in early 2020 when the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic were understood the team had to quickly adapt the methodology of program facilitation.  First, it was understood that programming could not be facilitated in person for the health and safety of the public and educators.  Second, programming could not cease because those who are overweight or have diabetes are more likely to become severely ill if infected with COVID-19.  Hence, the team promptly adapted programming to various virtual environments.

Programming was adapted to virtual environments based on the audience(s) served.  The DPP and DSME programs were offered to new and existing groups over the Go to Meetings platform and phone walking meetings.  The GIFT program was converted to a visual slide presentation with recorded voice-over education and played on a closed television channel in retirement communities.  In order to reduce health inequities due to lack of access to internet and technology, the team asked participants to call in to programming during active sessions with those who participated online (via Go to Meetings) and mailed packets with additional information.  As a result of these efforts, program enrollment and retention increased, in addition to reaching larger groups of people due to the flexibility of virtual programming (i.e. no transportation, childcare, and location barriers).  Most importantly, and perhaps most surprisingly, the group support has been immeasurable in fostering programmatic outcomes and combating social isolation.