Latest buzz word

We've all heard them... coordination, collaboration, and now integration. Buzz words. But is this latest buzz word to hit the public health world doomed to fall by the wayside? Or is it here to stay?

We think it's here to stay.

After all, integration is "the strategic alignment of chronic disease categorical program resources to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of each program in a partnership without compromising the integrity of categorical program objectives" (as noted in Recommendations for Integration of Chronic Disease Programs: Are Your Programs Linked?).

Whew. Simply put, we believe integration will help us do our jobs better, making Utah a healthier and safer place for everyone to live, work, and play. As hardworking and dedicated professionals within the Bureau of Health Promotion, we each need to ask ourselves, "How can we work together? How can a joint effort be more efficient and effective than working alone?" After all, two heads are better than one!

As we embark on our journey to integration, we propose nine guiding principles to keep us on the right track.

1. Link/integrate where it makes sense - be strategic.
2. Be driven by improving health outcomes, not just to "integrate."
3. Identify ways to share resources.
4. Strive to be synergistic and symbiotic (value-added).
5. Maintain categorical program integrity.
6. Promote open communication. Identify and implement mechanisms to foster communication.
7. Evaluate cross-cutting process and outcomes and adjust accordingly.
8. Build stakeholder buy-in.
9. Promote success. (Read through some already successful integration projects happening right here!)
   

So, is integration here to stay? What benefits do you see in striving to create a culture of integration within the Bureau of Health Promotion? What issues do you see that could hinder our ability to truly integrate?