Ideas for improving community’s health shared at Brandywine Health Foundation forum
By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times
About 170 participants offered feedback to the Brandywine Health Foundation at its Vision Cafe.
They came, they conversed — and they conquered some hurdles to improving the health of the greater Coatesville community.
The din at last night’s well-attended Vision Café rivaled that of a high-school lunch period – fitting since the two-hour event was held in the Coatesville Area Senior High cafeteria.
“I was just told that you never escape cafeteria duty,” joked Harry Lewis, who retired in 2006 as CASH principal and now heads the board of the Brandywine Health Foundation, which sponsored the gathering.
About 170 people representing a diverse cross-section of government workers, citizens, businesses and nonprofit agencies responded to the public invitation to provide feedback to the foundation, input that will help shape future programs.
Dolores s. Colligan, deputy director of the county’s Department of Community Development, added brightness to an already colorful event by writing comments with an orange marker that matched her outfit.
“All of you obviously care about our community and we thank you for coming,” said Lewis. “This evening we are asking for your help … We can’t do it alone. We need you.”
Lewis then turned the program over to Jason Alexander and Meghan McVety, co-founders of Capacity for Change, a West Chester-based consultant. Alexander outlined the format: Participants in groups of four or five would respond to a question written on a display board in the front of the room, interrupting the exchanges periodically to jot notes on the paper tablecloths dotting the long cafeteria tables.
When Alexander signaled that the discussion was over, people would be asked to relocate and repeat the process with another question in a new group.
Alexander said the questions, created in concert with the foundation, were designed to spark spirited dialogue, which they did. They ranged from identifying the present and future role of the Brandywine Health Foundation to suggesting ways to eliminate health-care disparities based on race, income, age or gender to exploring opportunities to engage more people, businesses and groups in the quest to achieve a healthier community.
Harry Lewis, board chairman for the Brandywine Health Foundation, confers with Chaya Scott, who runs the foundation’s Coatesville Youth Initiative, during the event.
As the program unfolded, the audience needed no nudging, quickly turning the room into a hub of energetic gestures and chatter. Business cards and telephone numbers were exchanged, and ideas made their way onto the tablecloths.
Alexander said the tablecloths as well as comment cards that were distributed would be collected and mined for key themes and innovative ideas. That data would then be shared with the foundation, he said, adding that it was exciting to work with an organization so committed to community involvement.
At the conclusion of the program, Frances Sheehan, president and chief executive officer of the Brandywine Health Foundation, applauded the turnout, expressed gratitude for the engagement of the participants and sought reactions to the program.
Frances Sheehan, who heads the Brandywine Health Foundation, chats with participants after the program.
Regina Horton Lewis, executive director of Chester County Community Dental, elicited loud applause when she suggested that by harnessing the collective power of the diverse, dedicated and talented people in attendance, “we can rebuild our community.”
Sheehan reminded the audience that an online survey will provide additional opportunities for commentary, and she urged participants to pass along the web site to people who could not attend the Vision Café: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/brandywinehealth.
“I think we have a very bright future if we continue to talk,” Sheehan said.
It was really a great opportunity to discuss the future of our community and the Brandywine Health Foundation’s role in that development. I hope that we’ll have more opportunities for interaction and insight in the future.