Regional Health Department

Did you know that...

...lack of access to vaccinations is leaving many Lehigh Valley's residents vulnerable?

...the rates of death from preventable disease or condition are higher in this region than state and national averages?

...currently, the Lehigh Valley does not have a single entity responsible for overseeing public health services and emergency preparedness response?

A Regional Health Department Would Mean a Healthier Lehigh Valley

A Lehigh Valley Health Department, serving communities across Lehigh and Northampton Counties, will prevent disease, promote health and safety, and protect all residents of the two counties. The regional (bi-county) health department will provide essential preventative and health education services to currently underserved areas of the Lehigh Valley, while simultanously accessing increased public health dollars for the region from the state.

Learn more about the benefits that a regional health department will bring to our communities by reading the Lehigh Valley Health Department Fact Sheet. More than 40 organizations have endorsed the establishment of a Lehigh Valley Health Department.

Regional Public Health Needs Your Support
The effort to establish a regional health department is at a crucial stage. The Lehigh Valley Board of Health - composed of 11 members jointly appointed by the two counties - is finalizing the plan and budget for a Lehigh Valley Health Department. The plan is subject to approval by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, as well as approval of the county legislatures in both Lehigh and Northampton Counties. Also, municipalities that provide their own public-health services will have the option of opting out of a regional health department.

Your support for this effort is critical. RenewLV is asking those who live or work in the Lehigh Valley to voice their support for a regional health department by contacting their elected officials. In supporting the establishment of a Lehigh Valley Health Department, you will join more than 40 organizations, including businesses, community groups, educational institutions, and foundations, that have endorsed the establishment of a regional health department.

Become a part of a strong and vocal group of community members who recognize the benefits that a Lehigh Valley Health Department will bring to our region. Contact your county legislators and let them know that the Lehigh Valley NEEDS and DESERVES a regional health department.

What You Can Do
1) Elected officials greatly value input from their constituents. That's why it's important for you to contact your county legislator to express your support for a Lehigh Valley Health Department.

2) Have your organization formally endorse the establishment of a Lehigh Valley Health Department. Having a wide-range of endorsers helps illustrate the broad-based support for a regional health department.

3) Keep up to date on the effort to establish a regional health department by visiting RenewLV's Join Us page and providing your contact information. Make sure to click the box next to 'Health' before submitting, or e-mail us at smartgrowth@renewlv.org.

The Lehigh Valley NEEDS and DESERVES a Public Health Department

Lehigh Valley's existing local health departments—the Allentown and Bethlehem Health Bureaus—provide high-quality services. However, over two-thirds of Lehigh Valley residents live outside of these two cities. This disparity puts all of us in the Lehigh Valley at greater risk for disease outbreaks, food-borne illnesses, and environmental contamination. A regional health department will allow for coordination of essential public health services to all residents and workers of the Lehigh Valley and will be better positioned to plan for and address health risks that do not stop at municipal or county lines.

Some of the preventative services that a Lehigh Valley Health Department will provide include:

Childhood and adult immunizations
Prenatal screening and services
Tobacco prevention and cessation programs
Education and activities to promote nutrition and physical activity
Cancer prevention services
Monitoring of air and water quality
Restaurant inspections
Inspections of child-care facilities, public beaches, swimming pools, and other comunity settings

State funding for local public health services is allocated on a per capita basis. Currently, the Lehigh Valley receives funds based on the residential population served by the Allentown and Bethlehem Health Bureaus. But this amounts to only one-third of the funding that the Lehigh Valley could be receiving. Without a regional health department, the Lehigh Valley is missing out on over $3 million in additional state funds for public health — money that the region's taxpayers are leaving behind in Harrisburg!

Regional Health Department Resources

Read the Lehigh Valley Board of Health Minutes.

HealthyValley.org -- The Lehigh Valley Board of Health website.
RenewLV Fact Sheet: How a Regional Health Department Would Benefit the Lehigh Valley (PDF).
What a Stronger Public Health System Would Mean for the Lehigh Valley (Microsoft PowerPoint) -- Presentation accompanying the keynote address made by Jessica Solomon, National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), at a RenewLV community forum in October 2007.
Healthiest Nation in One Generation. -- Prepared by the American Public Health Association, an informative video that illustrates the importance of public health services.
Executive Summary from "Aiming Higher: Results from a State Scorecard on Health System Performance." -- While Pennsylvania ranked 15th out of the 50 states and Washington D.C., we ranked in the bottom 50% for "avoidable hospitalizations" and the lowest 25% in "healthy lives."
On Hospitals and the Public's Health. -- Report prepared by the National Steering Committee of the Health Research and Educational Trust.

If you have a suggestion for a useful resource that should be included in this list, send us an e-mail at smartgrowth@renewlv.org.

News Coverage