The Florida County of Pinellas has a population of approximately 970,637 residents as of 2017, with 52% female and 82.7% White, 11.1% Black, and 9.7% Hispanic. Situated on 608 square miles, only 274 of which are land, Pinellas County is the most densely populated county in Florida, with a density of 3,292/sq. mi. The Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County (DOH-Pinellas) was established in 1936 and maintains public health jurisdiction over Pinellas County. DOH-Pinellas is one of 67 County Health Departments and operates under the auspices of Department of Health, Florida’s state agency dedicated to protecting, promoting, and improving the health of all people in Florida. DOH-Pinellas serves Pinellas County with more than 700 employees in six health department locations throughout the county. DOH-Pinellas is divided into six divisions that provide a wide range of public health services including infectious disease control, health promotion, chronic disease prevention, environmental health monitoring, disaster preparedness and response, as well as personal health services.
Many of St. Petersburg’s community members experience challenges that serve as barriers to optimal health. Recognizing that disparity in access to information is a significant barrier and social determinant of health, the DOH-Pinellas, the St. Petersburg Police Department (SPPD), the City of St. Petersburg’s Healthy St. Pete initiative and the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg collaborated and created the Community Resource Bus (CRB) program. The CRB program specifically addresses access to care by addressing inequities in access to information about healthcare and social services.
The CRB program originated from the City of St. Petersburg Police Department’s goal of strengthening positive relationships between law enforcement and city residents. To build these relationships within the community, SPPD began dispatching their mobile command unit bus, staffed with a police officer, to various locations for one week each month. As the bus increased its presence in the neighborhoods of St. Petersburg, the need for information on healthcare and social services was realized. SPPD reached out to DOH-Pinellas for guidance to meet this need.
DOH-Pinellas initiated a formal partnership with SPPD, the City of St. Petersburg’s Healthy St. Pete, and the Foundation for Healthy St. Petersburg to expand the use of the mobile command bus. The agency’s collaboration involved remodeling the bus, transforming it into a neighborhood-friendly and approachable Community Resource Bus. The bus is staffed with volunteers and community health providers who provide various health screenings such as diabetes screening and HIV testing. To connect residents to local resources, the software Health Leads Reach was purchased through funds awarded by Florida Blue. Health Leads Reach is an integrated database that enables the CRB volunteers to quickly match residents to the best resources available, as well as easily manage and track referrals.
The overall goal of the CRB program is to improve community safety and access to care by connecting St. Petersburg residents to crucial resources via the CRB. The program combines public safety and public health to ensure that all residents have the resources they need to be healthy. The CRB program also involves a significant component of community policing, which has been documented to reduce crime rates and improve perception of officers.
CRB program objectives have already been met by implementing a sustainable program, connecting over 2,000 residents with health, municipal, social and safety information and resources at regular bus stops, and reaching hundreds more through participation in health fairs and events. Additionally, demographic and health/social needs data were collected from willing participants, allowing the opportunity for further analysis of community needs.
Partnerships and collaboration are some of the core factors that led to the ongoing success of the CRB project. By establishing partnerships with the City of St. Petersburg and SPPD, as well as local volunteers, DOH-Pinellas has expanded their reach and impact on community members who may not have otherwise encountered such information and/or resources through the CRB program. The CRB continues to reach thousands of residents and families in St. Petersburg, particularly those in high-crime, lower income areas where the bus is often stationed. Quality of life stands to be improved directly and quickly for these populations, via connection with medical and social resources. In addition, the data and insight we gain through the CRB program can inform future interventions down the road. The CRB has also impacted the population in some ways that are difficult to measure, but which are nonetheless important to quality of life, including greater trust of police officers and public servants, as well as overall gratitude and appreciation from neighborhood residents.
http://pinellas.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/wellness-programs/community-resource-bus2/index.html