One Coast,
One Future:
The Fairfield County Economic Integration Initiative
About One
Coast, One Future
One Coast, One
Future is a consortium formed by the Bridgeport
Regional Business Council and The Business Council of Fairfield County in
cooperation with the Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerce. The
initiative is funded by a nearly $1,000,000 federal grant secured by Congressman Christopher Shays (R-CT).
One Coast's long-term plan consists of eight key objectives. Read more about the initiative.
Health Care
Industry Cluster
The
Health Care Industry Cluster work has focused on employment in the health care
industry and the development of a public awareness and education partnership
focusing on wellness.
There are several demographic shifts in the region’s population that will create an increased demand for health and fitness related services. The overall demand created by one the region’s largest population segments, the aging and affluent baby-boomers, and the health services required by the rapidly growing immigrant population present multiple entrepreneurial opportunities for both the profit and non-profit sectors.
The
2007 Health Care Industry Cluster built upon the recommendations of
the 2006 Cluster Study (see below). After an RFP selection process in the Summer of 2007, the
consulting firm of Holt, Wexler & Farnham was chosen to further develop
two critical components of the health care industry - health care workforce
and wellness.
The Healthcare workforce crisis is already upon
us and will get worse as Baby Boomers retire and enter their peak health care
consumption years. Faculty
shortages, lack of clinical placements, serious classroom constraints,
inadequate student preparation, and lack of infrastructure to train the
immigrant population have been identified as factors.
The
Health Care Workforce Initiative will develop a strategic health care workers plan to strengthen the
competitiveness of the One Coast, One Future Region.
The
The second component addresses the issue of wellness. Health care costs are squeezing everyone’s budgets, from the single parent family to the largest corporation, and every level of government. These costs are driven by a wide range of factors. While the best ways for our state and nation to provide affordable access to quality health care is the subject of intense debate, consensus exists on one core point: the ultimate goal of health care policy is health itself. A healthier population (or workforce, family or individual) is, in health care terms, a less expensive population.
Healthy Coast: Southwestern Connecticut Wellness Initiative will develop a pilot, collaborative program to reform the incentive
structure, adjust medical practices, and engage employers to encourage
wellness, prevention, and chronic disease for one or a limited number of
selected health conditions in the One Coast One Future Region (e.g. Ansonia,
Beacon Falls, Bridgeport, Darien, Derby, Easton, Fairfield, Greenwich, Monroe,
New Canaan, Norwalk, Oxford, Seymour, Shelton, Stamford, Stratford, Trumbull,
Weston, Westport, Wilton).
The initial Health Care Industry Cluster Study, completed in December 2006, analyzed demographic and health industry trends to identify emerging and future health services needs.
Read
more >>
Study
(640kb pdf)
Key Findings and Recommendations (57kb pdf)
June 2007 Presentation (235kb pdf)
For
more information on this initiative please contact Tanya Court at 203-359-3220
or tcourt
businessfairfield.com.
The
Business Council of Fairfield County
One
Landmark Square, Suite 300
Stamford, CT 06901-2679
General Phone: (203) 359-3220
Fax: (203) 967-8294
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The Business Council of Fairfield County
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