Connections IN Health, a team through the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, is getting to know the Starke County, Indiana community to find out interests and goals of community members related to chronic disease areas that their initiatives focus on. Focus areas include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, nutrition, food security, physical activity, asthma, cancer and health equity. Connections IN Health has previously engaged several other communities in the state, including Blackford, Grant, Madison, Vermillion and Washington counties. Within these counties, the team has collaborated with existing coalitions, listened to community members, identified community champions, and uncovered where there are opportunities.
The engagement of Starke County beginning in winter 2022 starts with a very simple survey where community members can provide input and indicate if they are willing to have a conversation with the team to share more about the successes and challenges related to health in Starke County. The team, including Purdue Extension and members of the Moving Starke County Forward local coalition, hopes to use this survey to work alongside existing community partners/programs and individuals in order to improve and reach the community’s health goals, share resources, and build networks throughout the county. If you are interested, you can complete the survey at this link: https://redcap.link/Starke. The Connections IN Health team will start contacting those who wish to share more information in a listening session in November 2022.
For more information on the project, Statewide coalitions and initiatives, please visit https://indianactsi.org/community/initiatives/ or contact Karen Hinshaw at kdhinsha@iu.edu. Contact your local Starke County team members at Purdue Extension by emailing Debbie Mix, Community Wellness Coordinator, at mix0@purdue.edu, or by phone at 574-772-9141 with any additional questions or requests.
