ABSTRACT Background: The Brazos Valley Health Partnership (BVHP), a regional partnership serving ... more ABSTRACT Background: The Brazos Valley Health Partnership (BVHP), a regional partnership serving seven counties in Central Texas, was established to improve access to care and health status in the Brazos Valley. Capitalizing on community health development constructs, the BVHP has evolved as a partnership to address disparities in access to a variety of health and social services, particularly in the rural areas, through establishing rural health resource centers and the expansion of services through telehealth technology. Methods: As part of the evaluation of the partnership, the Center for Community Health Development (CCHD) assessed the extent to which BVHP members' collaborative efforts have changed over time. Using an interorganizational network survey and a relationship scale administered to organizations within the BVHP in 2004 and 2006, CCHD was able to analyze changes in characteristics of various networks, including resource and information sharing, joint planning, and formal relationships among partners. Results: Network analysis revealed changes in various network characteristics, including an overall increase in network ties and increased network density among BVHP members. Discussion: By evaluating changes in interorganizational relationships, CCHD was able to measure the evolution of relationships among member organizations as they worked to address health disparities within the region. Community-oriented researchers, particularly those engaged in community-based participatory research, will find the measurement of interorganizational relationships useful as both process and outcome measures of their efforts.
Mental health counseling has been successfully delivered through telehealth in Leon County, Texas... more Mental health counseling has been successfully delivered through telehealth in Leon County, Texas for the past six years. The telehealth model was developed using a partnership approach, which is a four-stage model that 1) establishes partnership goals, 2) organizes partners, 3) develops intervention strategies, and 4) evaluates outcomes. The Leon County telehealth model was originally managed by a community-academic partnership who received seed funding from the Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) in 2004 to implement the model; however, after grant funding ended in 2007, services have been sustained and managed locally. Mental health providers at the Texas A&M Telehealth Counseling Clinic have provided services successful in alleviating client distress, decreasing depressive symptoms, and increasing Mental Health Composite Scores among rural patients. Due to the successes achieved in Leon County, four additional rural counties within the Brazos Valley region of east-central Texas...
Comprised of various dimensions, community capacity is recognized as a set of characteristics tha... more Comprised of various dimensions, community capacity is recognized as a set of characteristics that enable communities to address local health issues. The Center for Community Health Development (CCHD) at the Texas A&M School of Public Health, a Prevention Research Center, has partnered with rural communities in the Brazos Valley, Texas for the past 13 years to conduct community-based participatory research. CCHD’s research utilizes a community health development approach, which seeks to improve population health status and build community capacity. A three-year comparative multiple case study, involving four rural communities, sought to understand which aspects of community capacity were necessary and sufficient for communities to use their capacity as a resource to improve community health. The study observed community organization, planning, and implementation processes aimed at increasing access to opportunities for physical activity. Each community’s focus was different, and the...
The disparities in access to health care services for residents of rural areas are well-documente... more The disparities in access to health care services for residents of rural areas are well-documented. Many rural areas are primary care health professional shortage areas, and most are mental health professional shortage areas. Because accessing mental health services for a rural resident typically means taking a considerable amount of time from work and traveling a substantial distance to a provider's office, it is understandable why residents delay or forego seeking care for themselves and their families. In Leon County, Texas, the community identified access to mental health services as a priority through a local planning process. Through their collaboration with the Center for Community Health Development at the School of Rural Public Health, they connected with the Department of Educational Psychology at Texas A&M University, which operates a doctoral training program in counseling psychology. Funded by a Rural Health Network Development grant through the Office of Rural Heal...
How we design, live in and move about our communities directly affects our health. Particulate ma... more How we design, live in and move about our communities directly affects our health. Particulate matter, ozone and waterborne disease outbreaks pose health problems disproportionately among older adults. Breathing unhealthy air exacerbates chronic conditions such as asthma, ...
ABSTRACT Background: The State of Texas has the highest rate (24%) of uninsured residents in the ... more ABSTRACT Background: The State of Texas has the highest rate (24%) of uninsured residents in the US. Rural communities in Texas are particularly at risk of being uninsured; in fact, in a recent health status assessment 25.7% of rural Madison County residents reported not having health insurance of any kind. Of those who reported being uninsured, 85.5% said they could not afford insurance because it was too expensive. Due to this disparity, the Madison Health Resource Center collaborated with local health and social service providers to apply for funding from the Office of Rural Health Policy to increase awareness of the Affordable Healthcare Act (ACA). Currently, there are no certified application counselors in Madison County who can assist local residents in the ACA application process. Methods: To assist residents in enrolling in health insurance marketplaces, Madison County developed an ACA awareness campaign. They utilized two certified Community Health Workers and trained them as general educators to implement the campaign. Results: Since initiation in April 2013, general educators have conducted three health education events in the community, targeting low-income individuals. General educators partnered with local community organizations, churches, hospitals, social service providers, and emergency management personnel to plan and implement education activities. Over 43 individuals have participated in activities and 20 have been referred to additional resources to assist them in enrollment processes. In addition, more than 200 educational materials have been disseminated throughout the rural community. Overall, initial results of this project are positive and well-perceived within the community.
ABSTRACT Background: The Brazos Valley Health Partnership (BVHP), a regional partnership serving ... more ABSTRACT Background: The Brazos Valley Health Partnership (BVHP), a regional partnership serving seven counties in Central Texas, was established to improve access to care and health status in the Brazos Valley. Capitalizing on community health development constructs, the BVHP has evolved as a partnership to address disparities in access to a variety of health and social services, particularly in the rural areas, through establishing rural health resource centers and the expansion of services through telehealth technology. Methods: As part of the evaluation of the partnership, the Center for Community Health Development (CCHD) assessed the extent to which BVHP members' collaborative efforts have changed over time. Using an interorganizational network survey and a relationship scale administered to organizations within the BVHP in 2004 and 2006, CCHD was able to analyze changes in characteristics of various networks, including resource and information sharing, joint planning, and formal relationships among partners. Results: Network analysis revealed changes in various network characteristics, including an overall increase in network ties and increased network density among BVHP members. Discussion: By evaluating changes in interorganizational relationships, CCHD was able to measure the evolution of relationships among member organizations as they worked to address health disparities within the region. Community-oriented researchers, particularly those engaged in community-based participatory research, will find the measurement of interorganizational relationships useful as both process and outcome measures of their efforts.
Mental health counseling has been successfully delivered through telehealth in Leon County, Texas... more Mental health counseling has been successfully delivered through telehealth in Leon County, Texas for the past six years. The telehealth model was developed using a partnership approach, which is a four-stage model that 1) establishes partnership goals, 2) organizes partners, 3) develops intervention strategies, and 4) evaluates outcomes. The Leon County telehealth model was originally managed by a community-academic partnership who received seed funding from the Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) in 2004 to implement the model; however, after grant funding ended in 2007, services have been sustained and managed locally. Mental health providers at the Texas A&M Telehealth Counseling Clinic have provided services successful in alleviating client distress, decreasing depressive symptoms, and increasing Mental Health Composite Scores among rural patients. Due to the successes achieved in Leon County, four additional rural counties within the Brazos Valley region of east-central Texas...
Comprised of various dimensions, community capacity is recognized as a set of characteristics tha... more Comprised of various dimensions, community capacity is recognized as a set of characteristics that enable communities to address local health issues. The Center for Community Health Development (CCHD) at the Texas A&M School of Public Health, a Prevention Research Center, has partnered with rural communities in the Brazos Valley, Texas for the past 13 years to conduct community-based participatory research. CCHD’s research utilizes a community health development approach, which seeks to improve population health status and build community capacity. A three-year comparative multiple case study, involving four rural communities, sought to understand which aspects of community capacity were necessary and sufficient for communities to use their capacity as a resource to improve community health. The study observed community organization, planning, and implementation processes aimed at increasing access to opportunities for physical activity. Each community’s focus was different, and the...
The disparities in access to health care services for residents of rural areas are well-documente... more The disparities in access to health care services for residents of rural areas are well-documented. Many rural areas are primary care health professional shortage areas, and most are mental health professional shortage areas. Because accessing mental health services for a rural resident typically means taking a considerable amount of time from work and traveling a substantial distance to a provider's office, it is understandable why residents delay or forego seeking care for themselves and their families. In Leon County, Texas, the community identified access to mental health services as a priority through a local planning process. Through their collaboration with the Center for Community Health Development at the School of Rural Public Health, they connected with the Department of Educational Psychology at Texas A&M University, which operates a doctoral training program in counseling psychology. Funded by a Rural Health Network Development grant through the Office of Rural Heal...
How we design, live in and move about our communities directly affects our health. Particulate ma... more How we design, live in and move about our communities directly affects our health. Particulate matter, ozone and waterborne disease outbreaks pose health problems disproportionately among older adults. Breathing unhealthy air exacerbates chronic conditions such as asthma, ...
ABSTRACT Background: The State of Texas has the highest rate (24%) of uninsured residents in the ... more ABSTRACT Background: The State of Texas has the highest rate (24%) of uninsured residents in the US. Rural communities in Texas are particularly at risk of being uninsured; in fact, in a recent health status assessment 25.7% of rural Madison County residents reported not having health insurance of any kind. Of those who reported being uninsured, 85.5% said they could not afford insurance because it was too expensive. Due to this disparity, the Madison Health Resource Center collaborated with local health and social service providers to apply for funding from the Office of Rural Health Policy to increase awareness of the Affordable Healthcare Act (ACA). Currently, there are no certified application counselors in Madison County who can assist local residents in the ACA application process. Methods: To assist residents in enrolling in health insurance marketplaces, Madison County developed an ACA awareness campaign. They utilized two certified Community Health Workers and trained them as general educators to implement the campaign. Results: Since initiation in April 2013, general educators have conducted three health education events in the community, targeting low-income individuals. General educators partnered with local community organizations, churches, hospitals, social service providers, and emergency management personnel to plan and implement education activities. Over 43 individuals have participated in activities and 20 have been referred to additional resources to assist them in enrollment processes. In addition, more than 200 educational materials have been disseminated throughout the rural community. Overall, initial results of this project are positive and well-perceived within the community.
Uploads
Papers by Angela Alaniz