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This coalition is committed to collaborative health promotion and disease prevention activities throughout the county.
According to the 2002 health and human service needs assessment, heart disease, cancer and stroke continue to be the three major causes of death for Bucks County
adults. Colorectal cancer, prostate cancer and melanoma death rates, while declining in the county as a whole, are higher than the state age-adjusted averages. Thirty five percent of Bucks County adults are
overweight and that percentage rises to 41% in Upper Bucks. Approximately one-third of county adults are not getting the recommended screenings, such as mammograms, colorectal exams and prostate screenings.
In order to address these issues, the Bucks County Wellness Partnership ((BCWP) has worked to provide health education, promotion and screening activities in a cooperative,
noncompetitive manner for over ten years. Interest has flourished with the continued involvement of numerous community partners, including health and human service agencies, school nurses, drug and alcohol
prevention specialists, as well as representatives from all seven hospitals and the county health department. BCWP conducts free and low cost health screenings and educational promotions including: skin cancer
screenings, colorectal screenings, prostate cancer screening, Brain Attack Alert (Stroke Assessment), breast examinations, screening mammograms and blood pressure screenings. During special countywide initiatives,
thousands of pieces of educational literature are distributed and countless hours of health education and counseling are provided.
A very active subcommittee
of the BCWP is the Bucks County Immunization Coalition.
The mission of this coalition is to "improve immunization rates
across the lifespan from infancy through adolescence and into adulthood."
Committed representatives, including volunteers from local Rotary
and Kiwanis Clubs, meet bi-monthly to work on their action plan:
- Develop immunization awareness for all ages
- Support immunization clinics in the community
- Develop necessary resources
- Encourage community involvement
Under the leadership of the Bucks County Health Department, our coalition conducts a countywide influenza immunization program each year. Free flu shots are provided at more
than 50 locations to seniors, chronically ill persons over 12 years of age and pregnant women in their second or third trimester. Through this collaborative program's inception in 1994, more than
100,000 flu shots have been provided at no cost to the consumer.
The Bucks County Wellness
Partnership works as a "sounding board" providing oversight and
guidance for other countywide health promotion efforts including
BCHIP's Tobacco Control Program and BCHIP's Cardiovascular Risk
Reduction Program.
For more information about the Bucks County Wellness Partnership, please contact:
Sally Fabian, RN, MSN
BCHIP Executive Director
c/o St. Mary Medical Center
1201 Langhorne-Newtown Road
Langhorne, PA 19047
Phone: 215-710-5079
Fax: 215-710-6439
Email: sfabian@stmaryhealthcare.org
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