Oswego County Health Department

To help foster statewide implementation of prevention activities, the New York State Department of Health issued the Prevention Agenda 2013–17 to address disease prevention and reduce health disparities.

All 58 local health departments were required to submit a Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) to the State outlining their strategies to advance the Prevention Agenda. To help energize the implementation of these CHIPs, the New York Health Foundation (NYHealth) awarded grants to health departments with the most innovative and feasible projects to improve the health and wellbeing of their communities through the Advancing New York State’s Prevention Agenda: A Matching Funds Program to Implement Community Health Improvement Plans initiative. The Prevention Agenda offered NYHealth a timely opportunity to build upon its work in diabetes prevention by helping support initiatives that tackle the root causes of diabetes and other chronic conditions, such as obesity and smoking. NYHealth awarded the Oswego County Health Department (OCHD) a grant to participate in this initiative.

Oswego County Health Department (OCHD) used funds to focus on the Prevention Agenda priority area of preventing chronic disease. It addressed the county’s high rates of overweight and obesity among school children and adults, as well as high rates of tobacco use. OCHD provided guidance, training, and support to schools to implement the Healthy Highway program, which teaches children about healthy food choices in physical activity and nutrition. It also worked with providers and county agencies to promote smoking cessation among pregnant women and mothers of young children through the following activities: aligned and enhanced smoking cessation services; increased referrals to the New York State Smokers’ Quitlines; supported and adopted tobacco-free outdoor policies; and conducted research to support evidence-based approaches.

See a full list of recipients from this initiative.