About Our Region

The Capital Area Regional Public Health Network is a collaborative working to enhance and improve public health and prevention-related services within the region. The Capital Area Regional Public Health Network is hosted by Granite United Way.

Public Health Region

The Capital Area Public Health Network includes the municipalities of Allenstown, Andover, Boscawen, Bow, Bradford, Canterbury, Chichester, Concord, Deering, Dunbarton, Epsom, Henniker, Hillsboro, Hopkinton, Loudon, Northwood, Pembroke, Pittsfield, Salisbury, Warner, Washington, Webster, Weare, and Windsor. The Capital Area Regional Public Health Network serves approximately 136,741 people living in these communities.

Regional Public Health Advisory Council

The Capital Area Public Health Advisory Council (PHAC) is comprised of community leaders and representatives from a diverse group of community sectors. The primary work of the Council is to set regional health priorities, provide guidance to regional public health activities, and ensure coordination of health improvement efforts. The Steering Committee is currently developing the organizational structure and operating procedures of the PHAC and includes representatives from key health, mental health, safety, and social service agencies in the region. For more information, or to join the Capital Area Public Health Advisory Council, please contact Rachel O’Neil at Rachel.O’Neil@graniteuw.org or 603-224-2595 x225.

Priorities for Action

• Continuum of Care – The Capital Area Public Health Network (CAPHN) provides leadership and coordination in developing a comprehensive, effective, and well-coordinated substance misuse services Continuum of Care (CoC). This work includes convening subject matter experts and stakeholders to identify assets and gaps and to develop regional plans that initiate cooperative actions that increase awareness of current services, remove barriers to accessing services, increase capacity of existing services, and develop new services tofill gaps. Current initiatives in the Capital Region include facilitating a CoC Workgroup consisting of key stakeholders across the continuum to identify partnerships that would enhance current capacity levels and assessing the gaps inhibiting services.  With 24 surrounding townships that make up the Capital Region, the CoC Facilitator is reaching out to municipalities to assist in connecting services already in place. Building awareness of services provided, enhancing access to services, promoting collaboration and building capacity in service areas is the primary focus of this workgroup. Regionally, CoC Facilitators completed an Assets and Gaps Assessment Plan and the development of a regional CoC Plan to maximize assets and address gaps throughout the region. For more information, contact Pamela Littlefield, Facilitator at 226-7505 x 4733 or plittlefield@riverbendcmhc.org  or nhphn.org
• Substance Misuse Prevention – The Capital Area Regional Public Health Network, through the Substance Misuse Prevention Network provides infrastructure, leadership, and coordination to increase the number and reach of evidence-based substance misuse prevention programs, policies, and practices implemented in the region. Utilizing an asset-based public health approach, the network coordinator, regional Substance Misuse Prevention Committee, and partners engage and support the business, education, health, safety, government, and community and family supports sectors in the implementation of the region’s strategic plan. Current priorities being addressed in the Prevention Strategic Plan include the prevention of alcohol, marijuana, and prescription drug misuse among middle and high school aged youth and the prevention of overdose deaths among all ages. Current strategies to address these priorities include Life of an Athlete, Youth Leadership Councils, DEA National Take Back Days and Permanent Drop Boxes for prescription drugs, coalition development, student assistance programs, Narcan/Naloxone education and distribution, and Regional Network Development.  For more information about the Capital Area Regional Public Health Network’s work regarding substance misuse prevention, please visit www.capitalareaphn.org or contact Annika Stanley-Smith at Annika.stanley-smith@graniteuw.org or 603-224-2595 x224.
• Public health emergency preparedness – The Capital Area Public Health Network provides leadership and coordination to improve the readiness of partners to mount an effective response to public health emergencies and threats. This work includes the maintenance of a Regional Public Health Emergency Annex, which includes plans for response to and recovery from public health emergencies that impact communities in the region. In addition, the Capital Area Public Health Network works closely with hospitals, municipal emergency management directors, and other governmental, public health, and health care entities to plan for public health emergencies and ensure the provision of public health, medical, and behavioral health services before, during, and after an incident. The Capital Area Public Health Network is working closely with local Emergency Management Directors within the region to strengthen and develop regional sheltering plans to respond to the needs of the communities during events. For more information about the Capital Area Public Health Network’s work regarding public health emergency preparedness, please visit www.capitalareaphn.org or contact Mary Reed at Mary.Reed@graniteuw.org or 603-224-2595 x232.
• Emergency volunteers – The Capital Area Public Health Network coordinates efforts to recruit, train, and deploy a volunteer Citizen Corps during public health emergencies. The Capital Area Citizen Corps supports local emergency responders to provide emergency public health services throughout the region. Citizen Corps members include medical, public health, general professionals, and non-medical volunteers. For more information about the Capital Area Citizen Corps, please visit www.capitalareaphn.org or contact Stacey Elliot at Stacey.elliott@capitalareaphn.org 603-225-2595 x222.
  
• Flu clinics in schools – The Capital Area Public Health Network partners with local schools to vaccinate students against seasonal influenza. This program prioritizes schools where children are less likely to be insured or have other barriers to being vaccinated. For more information about this initiative, please visit www.capitalareaphn.org or contact Mary Reed at Mary.Reed@graniteuw.org or 603-224-2595 x232.