Mercer County residents may soon be asked to complete a survey about health and community services and area issues.

The surveys are part of a collaborative effort by local health-care agencies and providers to get a State Health Improvement Planning program officially recognized by the state Department of Health.

The department's goal is to have a SHIP program in every Pennsylvania county by 2010, said Dennis P. Fapore, district executive director for the department. The state program began after the federal government required all states to implement a health-improvement plan for citizens, he said.

In order to assess the needs of Mercer County residents and their perception of health-related services, residents will be asked to complete anonymous surveys that ask about health concerns.

Mary Lynn Reid, community services manager and director of grants for Primary Health Network in Sharon, said the surveys will be taken first at a health fair May 16 at Farrell Area High School.

"We want to get a handle on what the community sees as the most pressing issues and see what we can do as a group to bring about change," Ms. Reid said.

Ms. Reid said the program is unique because it's bringing people from many agencies together to work for the good of the community.

"I think, in my opinion, the reason why this program is a good program is it doesn't just rely on the professional agencies that are out there who do the work every day to try to eliminate the health disparities in the community," said Albert Boland, community relations specialist for UPMC Horizon.

Boland gave the example that residents may say that the transportation system in the county doesn't give them the opportunity to go to see their doctor, which in turn creates a health issue.

Hospitals can't do anything about transportation, but grants could be obtained through SHIP to improve the situation, Boland said.

Ms. Reid said the surveys may also make community leaders aware of programs that residents don't know about.

"We don't want to reinvent the wheel," she said.

The steering committee for the program is made up of representatives from all three area hospitals; Minority Health in Farrell; local schools, including Penn State University's Shenango Campus; the Mercer County Area Agency on Aging; the state Department of Public Welfare; HeadStart; AW/ARE; Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield and other health-care and human services providers, Fapore said.

He hopes to have the program recognized by the state within six months.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Kristen Garrett at:
kgarrett@sharonherald.com