title: The implementation and evaluation of a healthy communities process in central Alberta: some implications for public health practice.
abstract: This article describes the implementation and evaluation of a Healthy Communities Initiative (HCI) by the David Thompson Health Region in central Alberta, Canada. The HCI model provided for a facilitated, community-based, strategic planning process. Its key steps include development of a shared vision of health, assessment of needs and strengths, selection of key priority areas for action, and implementation of strategies to achieve change. A three-level evaluation model was developed, which incorporates project-level evaluation, cluster-level evaluation, and critical reflection on the David Thompson Health Region's own capacity to engage in community development work.
authors.affiliation: Department of Regional Public Health, David Thompson Health Region, Red Deer, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000416:Alberta; D018672:Community Health Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003256:Community Participation / Q000379:methods*; D006284:Health Plan Implementation / Q000379:methods*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D017146:Models, Organizational; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods*