Our Healthy Neighborhoods Project (HNP) cluster randomized trial is almost done with the treatment phase of the study and we are so thankful to our amazing partners in this endeavor, especially the City of New Orleans Code Enforcement Division, IWES, and the Center for Employment Opportunities, as well as the residents who have given their time and opinions in our surveys and data collection efforts! Below are some before and after shots of some of the vacant properties we are cleaning. Stayed tuned for more trial results over the coming year. In line with current evidence on violence prevention, we hope that treatment will reduce violence (including family violence) and improve health and well-being of communities. We have remediated 154 properties to date and will continue to remediate through the end of July.
The HNP team partnered with the University of Miami and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to present our work at the 2021 National Association of County & City Health Officials (NACCHO) Annual meeting which took place June 29th to July 1st and featured a Partnerships and Collaborations track focused on ways that local governments and health departments work with stakeholder organizations, community groups, etc., to improve health. Dr. Katherine Theall, one of the Principal Investigators of the HNP, shared information on the development of and preliminary results from the Healthy Neighborhoods Project (HNP), including our partnership with the City of New Orleans Code Enforcement Division and an innovative data integration tool utilized in property selection.
The discussion was facilitated by Jennifer Avegno, M.D., from the New Orleans Department of Public Health, who offered an important lens and perspective. In addition to research findings, the presenters discussed the benefits and challenges associated with conducting work that involves stakeholders in the community, funders, researchers, and individuals from local health and other city/county departments.
