In January 2025, Adams County Health Department (ACHD) launched a Shared Risk and Protective Factors (SRPF) internal Community of Practice (CoP) to strengthen collaboration across programs and increase collective impact on five interconnected health outcomes: chronic disease, mental health, substance use, suicide, and firearm violence. The CoP brings together over 20 staff from Nutrition, Nursing, Environmental Health, Operations, Epidemiology and Data Science (EDS), and Strategic Health Initiatives to address upstream public health challenges through a shared framework and coordinated approach. This presentation will highlight the development of the CoP, SRPF selection process, and current action-planning efforts.
The CoP meets monthly and is grounded in three objectives: 1) build a supportive network of direct service and systems-change staff across ACHD; 2) align at least three SRPFs with upstream, midstream, and downstream strategies that center social drivers of health; and 3) integrate professional development opportunities that support ACHD planning efforts. The planning team utilized the Communities That Care model to guide implementation phases and collaborative action planning.
Over the past year and a half, the CoP identified three priority SRPFs for coordinated action: social connection, access to care, and coordination of resources and services. Methods included cross-divisional collaboration, internal mapping of existing initiatives, review of county and departmental data, and development of SRPF profiles. The EDS Division created data presentations using BRFSS, HKCS, CHAS, and Belonging Barometer data to support prioritization and planning.
Results to date include increased cross-divisional collaboration, identification of overlapping initiatives, and development of coordinated action plans. Implementation is planned for Summer 2026 through December 2027.
This work reflects the conference theme, “Stronger Together,” by demonstrating how intentional collaboration across disciplines can strengthen public health systems and create more connected, aligned, and impactful approaches to community health.
