A New Community Change Effort to Improve Health and Well-being in the Largest Geographic County in the United States: San Bernardino County California

Wednesday July 10^th, Applied Survey Research met with 500 community stakeholders in San Bernardino County to present the results of their Community Vital Signs Data Report in the beginning step of a community engagement process to improve the well-being of the county. Applied Survey Research has been collecting data on the quality of life in San Bernardino County over the last six months and now those results are making their way into widespread community conversations about how to improve life in the county.

The project is known as Community Vital Signs and it was commissioned by the San Bernardino County Departments of Public Health, Behavioral Health, and Arrowhead Regional Medical Center with the participation of hospitals, volunteers, elected leaders, non-profit organizations, county agencies, businesses and officials from local universities. The data report that ASR produced launches a multi-step process over the next 3 years to move from data to action to improve health and well-being in San Bernardino County. The three stages of community engagement, each held at different locations and aimed at different populations, are designed to include widespread participation, inform and engage the community, and lead the way towards community improvement. The Community Vital Signs initiative has also adopted Collective Impact, a 5-step method to promote community change that highlights collaboration and data sharing between community organizations, stakeholders and other interested parties.

FULL ARTICLE HERE