On Thursday, January 20, 2011, the Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida received the Regional Quality of Life Award at the Northeast Florida Regional Council's Annual Awards Ceremony.  The HPC was recognized for its commitment to addressing the healthcare needs of the Region under a variety of health planning initiatives including: the New Town Health Project; the Clay County Health Assessment; the St. Johns River Rural Health Network - Low Income Pool; Partnership for Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Planning (PCHAP); the Ryan White Program; Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS; AIDS Insurance Continuation Program; the Guide to Assisted Living Facilities; Walking Audit of Green Cove Springs; San Marco Smart Growth Initiative; and many more.

HPC Executive Director, Dr. Dawn Emerick, accepted the award on behalf of the organization.  "I am honored to be able to accept this award on behalf of the Health Planning Council.  If it wasn't for such a dynamic staff and Board of Directors, none of these programs or initiatives would be possible.  We look forward to continuing to work towards improving the quality of life for everyone in Northeast Florida."

Clay County recently completed and released the 2010 Community Needs Assessment report. One of the Call to Action goals was to hold a summit to address both the assets and deficits of the    safety net services in Clay County.  As a means to address these issues, the Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida received a grant from The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida to organize a one-day Health Care Summit for leaders and decision makers in Clay County.  Over 50 stakeholders convened at the Thrasher Horne Center in Middleburg for a full day of education, networking and developing community solutions for addressing Clay County's uninsured.

The Health Planning Council reconvened with the group on Thursday, January 20, 2011.  At this event, Dr. Dawn Emerick released the White Paper - Establishing a Clay County Safety-Net System for the Uninsured: One Community’s Call to Action.  You can view the White Paper on the HPC website at http://www.hpcnef.org/publications/health-needs-assessments/.

The Health Planning Council has been facilitating a community planning process in partnership with San Marco Preservation Society (SMPS) and the City of Jacksonville Planning and Development Department (COJPDD) to create an improvement plan focusing on healthy and sustainable community design. Five focus groups have been conducted to garner input for the project. The meetings were attended by residents, property owners, merchants and business leaders. The discussions spurred an abundance of fresh, new ideas toward a future vision for North San Marco.

Themes emerged around creating a healthy community that conserves the character of the neighborhoods.  "The community is working towards developing an alternative set of guidelines or polices specifically for North San Marco.  We want to facilitate the creation of future vision that is appropriate for this community and will lead to a healthier, attractive and sustainable San Marco," says Valerie Feinberg, Director of Health Assessment and Urban Planning for the Health Planning Council. "This is a great process for convening the community to foster open dialogue.  The resulting visions for North San Marco will truly be a product or the community."

Community discussions are on-going.  SMPS encourages all who have an interest and opinion to participate in the next round of focus groups beginning in February.  Please contact SMPS at 904-396-5680 for further information or to sign up to host a focus group.