ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we’ll share how population health efforts have developed at York Hospital. Whereas our advancement of population health efforts has been in step with public health and value-based health care initiatives in the state of Maine, the question remains regarding how active our role should be in linking these two areas of focus for our organization. Over the past 20 years in the public health arena we have moved from being a Kind Neighbor, to Invested Community Partner, to where we are now-a somewhat reluctant Collaborative Health Strategist. As a Kind Neighbor the hospital has supported local healthrelated activities such as a grassroots effort to increase access to primary care services. As an Invested Community Partner, York Hospital has helped to lead a comprehensive community health coalition that engages in community disease prevention and health promotion activities. At present, York Hospital fi nds itself in the role of a Collaborative Health Strategist. It is not a role that we chose for ourselves, but thanks to the Affordable Care Act, we have a Community Health Improvement Action Plan. These roles are not mutually exclusive, nor are they linear in development. Yet, throughout our population health work, the question remains for us, “How active a part should we play in leading community health improvement efforts when our true focus is on patient care initiatives that bring value-based, high quality health care to our patients?”
