We’ve been busy! In the past month, we have taken great strides forward in our transportation equity work in the Blue Hills. Our Blue Hills Regional Coordinating Council (BHRCC) convened six more Community Conversations to gather firsthand perspectives and experiences from the communities we serve. Speaking to participants in Quincy, Braintree, Weymouth, Hingham, Milton, and Hull -- and gathering follow-up evaluations from many -- has provided us with valuable information that will help to shape the future of our efforts to improve transportation in our region.
Why Age-Friendly Communities are Important to Our Work
Within the Blue Hills Community Health Alliance catchment area, three of our thirteen cities and towns -- Quincy, Scituate, and Cohasset -- are currently enrolled in the AARP Age-Friendly Communities network. Their enrollment in the program signals a desire to create communities that will support the needs of an aging population, but what does creating an Age-Friendly Community actually involve? And why are Age-Friendly Communities important to the work of the Blue Hills Community Health Alliance?
Holding Community Conversations to Solve Transportation Challenges
Exactly one year ago, in January 2019, CHNA 20 launched a new program designed to address one of the social determinants that contribute to health disparities in our region. Based on our own data, conversations with partners and stakeholders, and data gathered for the South Shore Hospital Needs Assessment, we chose to focus deeply on solving the problem of transportation equity in our region. Realizing that a lack of reliable transportation is one of our region’s most prevalent social determinants of health led us to create the Blue Hills Regional Coordinating Council (Blue Hills RCC), a voluntary group of stakeholders collaborating to address regional transportation needs. The Blue Hills RCC also supports Metro Quincy’s transition to an Age-Friendly Community by helping to address mobility and transportation access issues for older adults and other populations who would benefit greatly from increased accessibility.