Campus and Community Health Task Force

Campus and Community Health Task Force

Task Force Charge

Overall Charge

The Campus and Community Health Task Force is co-sponsored by Washington State University (WSU) Office of the President and the Faculty Senate. The Task Force will identify barriers to expanding community healthcare at WSU, Pullman, and surrounding communities. Whereas immediate needs may focus on expanding mental healthcare services, the Task Force’s larger charge is to consider comprehensive healthcare needs of the campus and community. The Task Force will establish WSU and community partnerships to develop solutions to overcome barriers to healthcare, including provisions of support at various levels (universal prevention, targeted prevention, and intervention). The Task Force will also regularly assess and modify goals as healthcare needs evolve and will make ongoing recommendations toward a sustainable plan. The Campus and Community Health (CCH) Task Force intends to coordinate with and complement, rather than duplicate, any ongoing efforts in these broad areas.

Need

The CCH Task Force was initially formed based on the recognition of a need to fully meet the healthcare needs of WSU-Pullman students. It was further recognized that these needs also applied to Pullman and the surrounding communities. Although high-quality, state-of-the-art services may be available in Pullman (both in the community and on campus), the demand for these services outweighs the supply, often leading to a delay in receiving care. It was also recognized that universal or targeted preventions could be increased to alleviate some of the demand for more intensive interventions.

Process

• The Task Force will:
  Establish subcommittees/project teams to work on various tasks to meet the Task Force’s goals
• Gather information on other college/university campus communities, particularly those in more rural regions, to determine their approach to provision of healthcare
• Review existing services at WSU and in Pullman and the surrounding communities to identify strengths (e.g., successful service delivery formats, access to these services) and weaknesses (e.g., gaps within services, limitations to access)
• Determine unmet needs for healthcare at WSU and in Pullman and the surrounding communities and identify the barriers to meeting those needs
• Ensure WSU, Pullman, and the surrounding communities are strategically prepared to respond to increased demands for mental health and other healthcare needs
• Strengthen connections and collaborations between WSU, Pullman, and the surrounding communities to meet the healthcare needs of campus and community residents
• Facilitate the establishment of new initiatives that support the wellness of individuals within WSU, Pullman, and the surrounding communities
• Make recommendations for policy revision, or new policies, that support the wellness of individuals within WSU, Pullman, and the surrounding communities
• Determine the desire and need to expand the Task Force’s recommendations to other WSU campuses and/or communities

Review and Report

The CCH Task Force will submit the first report to the Office of the President and the Faculty Senate in Fall 2019 with recommendations to facilitate implementation of change and improvement.

Task Force Composition

The CCH Task Force is composed of stakeholders from both the WSU campus and the greater Pullman community and includes a mix of faculty, staff, professionals, and students.