Guiding Principles 

Community Engagement 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines Community Engagement as “the process of working collaboratively with and through groups of people who are affiliated by geographic proximity, special interest, or similar situations to address issues affecting the well-being of those people.” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 1997, p. 9) In general, the CDC defines the goals of Community Engagement as to build trust, enlist new resources and allies, create better communication, and improve overall health outcomes as successful projects evolve into lasting collaborations. 

Health Equity 

“Health equity means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. This requires removing obstacles to health such as poverty, discrimination, and their consequences, including powerlessness and lack of access to good jobs with fair pay, quality education and housing, safe environments, and health care. For the purposes of measurement, health equity means reducing and ultimately eliminating disparities in health and its determinants that adversely affect excluded or marginalized groups.” Excerpted from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation What is Health Equity? Report. 

Social Determinants of Health 

“Social determinants of health (SDoH) are the conditions under which people are born, grow, live, work, and age, and include factors such as socioeconomic status, education, employment, social support networks, and neighborhood characteristics. These have a greater impact on population health than factors like biology, behavior, and health care. SDoH, especially poverty, structural racism, and discrimination, are the primary drivers of health inequities. Reducing health inequities is important because they are pervasive; unfair and unjust; individuals affected have little control over the contributing circumstances; affect everyone; and can be avoided with existing policy solutions.” Excerpted from Advancing Health Equity by Addressing the Social Determinants of Health in Family Medicine a position paper by the American Association of Family Physicians.  

The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation use a model of population health that includes four broad social determinant of health factors: social and economic factors, health behaviors, clinical care, and the physical environment. 

What is a healthy community?  

In Healthy Villages: A guide for communities and community health workers the World Health Organization defines these characteristics of a healthy community: 

• The physical environment is clean and safe. 

• The environment meets everyone’s basic needs. 

• The environment promotes social harmony and actively involves everyone. 

• There is an understanding of the local health and environment issues. 

• The community participates in identifying local solutions to local problems. 

• Community members have access to varied experiences, interaction and communication. 

• The health services are accessible and appropriate. 

• The historical and cultural heritage is promoted and celebrated. 

• There is a diverse and innovative economy. 

• There is a sustainable use of available resources for all. 

History of Greenbrier County Health Alliance 

In 2015, the Greenbrier County Health Alliance (GCHA) formed —out of the WVSOM Center for Rural & Community Health; a department within WVSOM that works to impact population health at the grassroots level—to engage rural communities around locally identified issues. Through the GCHA developed countywide architectures for engagement and outreach, evidence-based workshops, and structures to link local foods to those in need. The work of the GCHA has evolved, and the organization now serves as a nonprofit partner of the CRCH—with staffing and overhead provided by the CRCH and nonprofit oversight from a community board—working to impact population health at the grassroots level through strengthening policies, environments, and systems (PES) to build toward health equity in the region. 

As of 2020, the Greenbrier County Health Alliance, through generous support from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, the James F.B. Peyton Fund, the WVU Office of Health Services Research, the Hollowell Foundation, and the United States Department of Agriculture, celebrated many notable accomplishments. GCHA contributed to the development of WVSOM’s Clingman Center for Community Engagement, marshaling significant grant funding to refit the space and install a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen for culinary medicine training and community projects. GCHA, along with many partners, continues to facilitate the development and growth of the Meadow River Valley Early Childhood Development Center and the Meadow River Valley Community Center Campus.  

GCHA has continued to work as a nonprofit partner of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine Center for Rural and Community Health (CRCH). CRCH continues to provide for the GCHA’s Executive Director position to be staffed by the CRCH Director of Community Engagement and Outreach, and a memorandum of understanding between the organizations is in development to cement the partnership. 

GCHA convened a local and statewide cross-sector team and submitted an application into a competitive nationwide learning collaborative administered by the American Public Health Association and the National Association of Counties: The Healthiest Cities and Counties Challenge. Out of more than 100 teams from across the country, the Greenbrier County team, led by GCHA, was selected for inclusion. The Challenge will provide grant funding, national exposure, and technical assistance to cross-sector teams to accelerate systems-level strategies for health equity over a two-year period ending in September 2022.  

GCHA provided expertise and support throughout 2020 to local COVID-19 disaster relief and response initiatives, including facilitating a COVID-19 emergency response grant with community-based partners to improve food access in the Meadow River Valley; development and management of a countywide phone and internet meal ordering and database system to support Greenbrier County Schools emergency feeding program; and, support and assistance of a local initiative to provide 3D printed masks to first responders and medical personnel as a backstop of personal protective equipment.