Welcome to the Downeast Public Health Council

The Downeast Public Health Council is a representative, district-wide body formed in partnership with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) to engage in collaborative planning and decision-making for the delivery of the ten Essential Public Health Services in the Downeast Public Health District. The Downeast Public Health District serves the people in Hancock and Washington Counties.

Vision - Downeast Maine Communities are among the healthiest in the state.

Mission - Promote the health of all our communities by providing public health information, coordination, collaboration, and advocacy.

The Downeast Public Health Council mobilizes working partnerships to coordinate efforts and resources within the District to produce results that no one community, organization, or sector could achieve effectively or efficiently alone.

District Public Health Planning

In collaboration with District partners and the Maine Center for Disease Control, the Council creates and updates a District Public Health Improvement Plan (DPHIP). The plan identifies the Downeast District’s public health priorities in order to create a multi-year plan of objectives, strategies, and outcomes for district action. The DPHIP also informs partners of the district work and is used to inform the State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP).

Our last District Public Health Improvement Plan was for the years 2017 – 2019. In 2020, in order to assess a better understanding of the system in the district, all districts undertook the Local Public Health Systems Assessment (LPHSA) process during the spring. As the district meetings were scheduled and planned, many of the districts had to postpone those meetings due to the COVID-19 response. They will be rescheduled.

In lieu of this assessment, the Downeast Public Health Council identified five areas of need and created committees to address them:

• Palliative Care and Hospice
• Healthy Aging
• Cancer
• Health Literacy
• Emergency Preparedness

Those committees have developed doable objectives and strategies for 2021

For Reference, here are the 2017-2019 District Public Health Improvement Plan Priorities are:

- Build Better Cardiovascular Health (Improved Nutrtiion and Physical Activity)

- Improve Mental Health Awareness focused on Early Childhood Ages

- Prevent Drug and Alcohol Use

- Build Awareness for Prevention of Cancer

Downeast Public Health Council and Committees

Downeast Public Health Council

The Downeast Public Health Council (DEPHC) meets every other month on a designated Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in varied locations. Our 2021 meeting dates are January 15, March 19, May 21, July 16, September 17, and November 19.

Click here to download a list of our Council members.

DEPHC Executive Committee

Organizations and agencies that have health or public health in their mission and are classified as a sector in council bylaws and state statute can become members of the council. Active council members are nominated and then elected annually to serve on the Council's Executive Committee. The Executive Committee guides and facilitates the Council's work. In 2021, these are our Executive Committee Members:

• Andrew Sankey – Hancock County Emergency Management Agency
• Angela Fochesato - Healthy Acadia (Washington County)
• Helen Burlock - Consultant on Healthy Aging and Community Member
• Kelly Brown - Next Step Domestic Violence Project
• Maria Donahue - SCC Representative - Healthy Acadia (Hancock County)
• Meredith Alexander - Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
• Steve Lail - Down East Community Hospital
• Al May - Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC)

District Committees

Ad hoc committees are formed when needed. Many committees are formed as a result of the priorities selected as a result of the Shared Community Health Needs Assessment. In 2020-2021, the council has formed committees based on infrastructure needs in the areas of Palliative Care and Hospice, Healthy Aging, Cancer, Health Literacy, and Emergency Preparedness.

Get Involved with the Downeast Public Health Council

The Downeast Public Health Council is one of nine (eight geographic and one Tribal) District Coordinating Councils for Public Health in Maine. The Council's responsibilities include:

• Identifying district public health issues and priorities using an assessment process;
• Coordinating and assuring public health services in our communities;
• Addressing health disparities in our district;
• Convening non-traditional public health partners;
• Advising on public health policy and allocation of funding;
• Preparing and maintaining the public health system for public health accreditation.

The Council is composed of member organizations representing public health "sectors" that are described in the Council's bylaws and interested persons within the District.

Please join us for one of our Council meetings to learn more about the work we do.

To get involved or for more information, contact:

Alfred May
District Liaison
207-255-2017
alfred.may@maine.gov

Helen Burlock, Community Health and Counseling Services
Downeast Public Health Council Acting Chair

Maria Donahue, Healthy Acadia
Downeast Public Health Council SCC Representative

Council meetings are held bimonthly on the third Friday of the month (January, March, May, July, September, and November). Meetings in the past have been in-person with virtual attendance possible. Since COVID, all meetings have been virtual.