Introduction

The goal of the Littleton Area Health & Safety Partnership is to facilitate regional coordination of public health services as defined by the framework of the 10 Essential Services of public health. The Littleton Area Health & Safety Partnership is a project of the North Country Health Consortium. The North Country Health Consortium (NCHC) was created in 1997 as a vehicle for addressing common issues through collaboration among health and human service providers serving Northern New Hampshire. NCHC member organizations are engaged in activities to build a regional health care system for:

• Collaborative planning, implementation and evaluation of community-based disease prevention and health promotion activities;
• Increased capacity for community health status assessment and improved patient care outcomes;
• Health professional training, continuing education and management services to encourage sustainability of the health care infrastructure; and
• Coordinated responses to health care financing challenges that are sensitive to maintaining the stability of rural communities and rural economies.

Service Area

The municipalities served by Littleton Area Health & Safety Partnership include Littleton, Bethlehem, Lyman, Lisbon, Sugar Hill, Franconia, Landaff, Easton, and Whitefield.

Partners

In addition to 11 member organizations of the North Country Health Consortium, partners include town officials, school representatives, North Country Educational Services, North Country Council (regional planning), NH Rural Development Council (NHRDC), area dentists, law enforcement, EMS District and Regional Councils, Dartmouth Medical School. the State Department's of Health & Human Services, Safety, and Resources and Econ Development.

Priorities for Action

Following a set of activities to assess community health needs and local public health system capacity, priority needs have included improving access to personal and public health services, improving emergency preparedness, workforce development, and enhancing health education and promotion efforts including substance abuse prevention and promotion of physical activity and nutrition.

• Regional Public Transportation Planning
• North Country Mobile Oral Health Clinic
• Coos County Coalition for Substance Abuse Prevention
• Northern Grafton County Tobacco Prevention Coalition
• NH Telehealth Collaborative
• North Country Cares initiative to increase eligibility determination and referral to available services
• Model Community project in collaboration with Littleton
• Northern NH AHEC for workforce education and training
• Physical Activity and Nutrition including development of walking guides and employer-based walking programs