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What is the Plan for a Healthier Allegheny?

The Plan for a Healthier Allegheny (PHA) is Allegheny County’s roadmap for improving health for all residents. Developed by a large community advisory coalition, this community health improvement plan aims to develop new opportunities and enhance existing programs to better serve the residents of Allegheny County.

Great progress has been made to improve the health of the community; however, there is still much to be done to make Allegheny County the healthiest county in the nation. Residents continue to face many challenges, including air quality, smoking, obesity, lead exposure, chronic disease and overdoses. The Plan for a Healthier Allegheny highlights important issues and brings together stakeholders across multiple sectors to address our top priorities. The PHA sets the stage for health improvement.

Objectives of the Plan

Real, lasting community change stems from critical assessment of current conditions, an aspirational framing of the desired future, and a clear evaluation of whether efforts are making a difference. Outcome indicators tell the story about where a community is in relation to its vision, as articulated by its related goals, objectives, and strategies.

The following outlines the Goals and Objectives for the five health priority areas in the PHA.

Priority Area 1: Access

Objective 1.1: Increase the percent of Allegheny County residents receiving preventive healthcare services as recommended by United States Preventive Services Task Force.

Objective 1.2: Increase the percent of residents who have health insurance coverage.

Objective 1.3: Increase the number of Allegheny County residents receiving dental care.

Objective 1.4: Improve access to health care services through improved transportation options in Allegheny County.

Priority Area 2: Chronic Disease Health Risk Behaviors

Objective 2.1: Decrease obesity in school-age children.

Objective 2.2: Increase fruit and vegetable consumption among adolescents and adults.

Objective 2.3: Increase the number of residents who participate in either moderate or vigorous physical activity in a usual week.

Objective 2.4: Reduce county cigarette smoking rate among all residents and reduce racial disparities.

Objective 2.5: Reduce smoking during pregnancy.

Priority Area 3: Environment

Objective 3.1: Assure that unconventional oil and gas production within Allegheny County is conducted responsibly.

Objective 3.2: To protect and improve water quality in Allegheny County to ensure clean water for drinking, recreation, and economic development.

Objective 3.3: Attain and maintain all national air quality standards within 5 years of setting the new standards for Allegheny County and effectively communicate actions to the public.

Objective 3.4: Reduce local emissions in high priority communities in Allegheny County.

Objective 3.5: Encourage and support a county-wide Climate Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Priority Area 4: Maternal and Child Health

Objective 4.1: Reduce asthma-related emergency room visits and hospitalizations among all children (age 0-17), particularly targeting the Medicaid population.

Objective 4.2: Increase the proportion of mothers with intent to breastfeed when leaving the hospital and reduce the disparity between White and Black populations.

Objective 4.3: Reduce the proportion of preterm, low birth weight, and very low birth weight births.

Objective 4.4: Reduce the overall infant mortality rate and the disparity in rates between White and Black populations.

Objective 4.5: Link actions to existing systems for families with children aged 0-8 to address unmet needs in children’s health.

Priority Area 5: Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders

Objective 5.1: Increase utilization of outpatient behavioral health services, particularly for the most vulnerable populations.

Objective 5.2: Increase knowledge and skills of first responders, primary care providers, and community members around behavioral health.

Objective 5.3: Increase the number of adult medical providers integrating behavioral health in their practices.

Objective 5.4: Increase the number of healthcare providers integrating children’s behavioral health and physical health using best practices.

Objective 5.5: Decrease the number of opiate-related drug overdose deaths.

Objective 5.6: Monitor use and increase prevention efforts for substance use disorders in all Allegheny County schools.