Who We Are
Driven by a representative board of directors, the Partnership for Public Health works within four spheres of public health each impacting population health in Lancaster County.
- Environmental Health
- Communicable Diseases
- Immunizations
- Public Safety
A list of our current community partners is below.
Community Partners
- Lancaster Chamber of Commerce
- Lancaster General Health
- CHI St. Joseph Children's Health
- United Way of Lancaster County
- U.S. Department of Housing and Human Development
- School District of Lancaster
- Penn Manor School District
- City of Lancaster, Office of the Mayor
- Lancaster City Board of Health
- IU13
- Lancaster County
- Millersville University
- Center for Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET)
- Community Outreach and Engagement Corps (COEC)
- Lancaster Regional Medical Center
- Perform Care
- Millers Smorgasboard
- Mennonite Historical Society
- Lancaster Osteopathic Health Foundation
- Lancaster Emergency Management Agency
- SouthEast Lancaster Health Services
What We Do
The Partnership
The Partnership for Public Health in Lancaster County exists to find unique local solutions to the public health challenges the county faces. In the face of increasing threats of disease outbreaks, municipalities struggling to resolve sewer challenges, and decreasing resources from State departments to provide services in our county, the Partnership is committed to a public/private partnership that reduces fragmentation and improves the health of residents. The Partnership relies on the engagement of diverse organizations that provide the underlying support needed to ensure its success.
OUR GOALS
We are dedicated to improving the health and well-being of Lancaster County through:
- Public awareness and education for all residents
- Coordination and collaboration to maximize impact and use of resources
- Research and advocacy to inform and activate best practice policy and services
How We Got Here
THE CONCERN
Over the past ten years, a group of concerned residents has considered the question, “Does Lancaster County need a local public health department?” We have talked with people around the county, the region, and the state in order to understand the needs and opportunities involved. We have become convinced that the ability to make decisions locally would benefit Lancaster County. With a local public health department, we would be much better positioned to address quickly and effectively concerns such as toxic lead levels in children, illnesses from vaccine-preventable diseases, H1N1, air pollution, and high death rates from stroke, asthma, and melanoma.
THE STEERING COMMITTEE
The intent of the Steering Committee was to gain the support of the County Commissioners to pass a resolution to create a county public health department. In February 2007, the Board of Commissioners requested and received a Certificate of Approval from the PA Department of Health, granting the county permission to establish a county health department, if it so chose. However, with a change in members of the Board of Commissioners and the subsequent downturn of the economy, establishing a department was no longer an option for the County. The Steering Committee was challenged to search for other ways of addressing the gaps in delivery of public health services. Using the momentum already in force and strong community interest, the concept of a private/public partnership surfaced, with the hope that someday the effort to create a county department can resume. To further understand our history, check out our background and history page.
Thus a new entity emerged – Partnership for Public Health in Lancaster County – with the following goals:
- Centralize public health information, research, and concerns
- Convene information, people, and funding to address public health priorities
- Disseminate public health information
- Coordinate efforts and resources to address public health priorities
- Document barriers to effective delivery of public health services
- Assure that state provided public health services align with the needs of Lancaster County
- Â Demonstrate the importance and efficacy of the need for an organized approach to address county-wide public health needs and priorities