This work began prior to the evolution of the South Carolina Public Health Institute to the South Carolina Institute of Medicine and Public Health.
Supporting the Community Guide in South Carolina
The South Carolina Public Health Institute was awarded a mini-grant by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officers (ASTHO) and the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) to assist the South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control (DHEC) in a planning process to promote use of the Community Guide to Preventative Services in their operations.
The Community Guide (www.thecommunityguide.org) is a free resource developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help public health organizations improve health and prevent disease through program and policy interventions that have been proven effective. It is a tool to promote and enable effective utilization of evidence based practices.
SCPHI worked with DHEC to complete the following activities: 1) increase awareness and knowledge of the Community Guide among DHEC Management Staff through trainings and educational opportunities, 2) conduct an assessment of existing DHEC programs to determine where Community Guide recommended practices are already in place, 3) document two case studies related to the Complete Streets recommended practice for a ‘winnable battle’ to include an analysis of implementation differences in an urban versus a rural community and 4) create a long-term plan to guide future work related to the education, promotion and implementation of the Community Guide in public health practice in South Carolina.
The results of the case studies may be found in “A Case Study of Two South Carolina Communities Pursing Complete Streets Policies: Considerations for Implementing A Community Guide Recommended Practice.”
Download One-Page Showcase of the Community Guide Project
IMPH Supports DHEC in Exploring Evidence-Based Practices
IMPH worked with DHEC to improve health and prevent disease by assessing the usage of evidence-based programs and policy interventions and sharing of resources to inform effective public health practice. One of the outcomes of this work was the compilation of resources for public health and medical professionals that provide access to information on evidence-based strategies and interventions.
Download a copy of Evidence-Based Research Compendium
Please contact Maya Pack for more information on the Institute’s role in promoting evidence-based public health in South Carolina.