The document summarizes a community report card project for 10 towns in western Connecticut led by Western Connecticut State University, Danbury Hospital, and United Way of Western Connecticut. The report card will measure community health and well-being using 37 indicators across topics like access to healthcare, diseases, education, and mental health. Data will be collected by graduate assistants and presented in a printed report and online by May 2008. Feedback will be solicited from stakeholders on the indicators and data. Future phases may expand the scope to additional topics like public safety, recreation, and the environment.

1. Community
Report Card
A Collaborative Community
Project
City of Danbury
Danbury Hospital
United Way of Western Connecticut
Western Connecticut State University
www.wcsu.edu/reportcard

2. Community Report Card
What is a Community Report
Card?
 A document which
presents views on how a
community is doing
 Topics vary by community
and can vary over time
 Certain issues/indicators,
are selected as important
measures of a community’s
well-being

3. Community Report Card
What will Our Community Report Card
Include?
 Phase 1 will focus on health related
indicators in ten towns
Bethel
Bridgewater
Brookfield
Danbury
New Fairfield
 Our Report Card will be available in
print and online
New Milford
Newtown
Redding
Ridgefield
Sherman

4. Community Report Card
What are the benefits?
 Increases everyone’s awareness
about their community
 Engages and motivates people and
agencies
 Feedback will provide us with a
better understanding of
community perceptions of local
problems

5. Community Report Card
What are the benefits?
 Learning what the public doesn’t
know will help us target health
education and awareness efforts
 Identifies what we don’t know and
what issues need to be worked on
 Encourages joint planning and
problem solving
 Support for grant writing and
responding to funding opportunities

6. Community Report Card
Who were the pioneers?
 Tim Baughman & Elizabeth Goehring, United
Way of Western Connecticut
 Andrea Rynn, Danbury Hospital
 Scott LeRoy, Danbury Health Department
 James Schmotter, President WCSU

7. Community Report Card
The Steering Committee
Co-
Chair:
Linda Rinker Provost & Vice President of Academic Affairs,
WCSU
Co-
Chair:
Andrea Rynn Director, Public and Government Relations,
Danbury Hospital
Ellen Durnin Dean, Graduate Studies and External Relations,
WCSU
Karen Daley Associate Professor of Nursing, WCSU
Neil Dworkin Associate Professor of Management, WCSU
Elizabeth Goehring Executive Vice President, United Way of Western
Connecticut
Robyn Housemann Assistant Professor of Health Promotion &
Exercise Sciences, WCSU
Chris Kukk Associate Professor of Social Sciences, WCSU
Scott LeRoy Director of Public Health, City of Danbury
Shane Murphy Assistant Professor of Psychology, WCSU
Marie O’Neill Senior Vice President, Retail Banking,
Marketing and Sales, Union Savings Bank
June Renzulli CEO, United Way of Western Connecticut
Marjorie Steinberg Associate Professor of Social Work, WCSU

8. Community Report Card
The Steering Committee
 Review existing Community Report Cards
 Prepare preliminary list of indicators
 Meet with stakeholders for feedback on
indicators
 Determine which indicators would best measure
our well-being
 Focus on health related issues during Phase 1
 Compile additional indicators that could be added at a later date
 Expand the scope of the Report Card in the future

9. Community Report Card
The Indicators
 Access to Health
Insurance
 Child Abuse
 Diseases
 Education
 Emergency Room Visits
 Health & Lifestyle
 Mental Health
 Poverty
 Pregnancy
 Suicide
37 indicators have been selected in the areas of:

10. Community Report Card
The Links
 A link to Prevent Child Abuse CT
to get help on questions, issues
and reporting child abuse
 A link to the Housatonic Valley of
Elected Officials website for
demographic and affordable
housing statistics
Additionally, the report card will
provide links to further
information on the indicators as
well as links to information not
covered by the indicators. For
example:

11. Community Report Card
The Future
 Public Safety
 Recreation and Culture
 Environment
 Community Involvement
Finally, future phases of the report card
will incorporate additional indicators.
Examples include:
At each new phase of the report card
stakeholders will provide feedback on
indicators to incorporate.

12. Community Report Card
Collecting and Organizing the
Data
 Create a project plan
 Determine availability of the
data on the indicators for the
ten towns
 Acquire data and compile into
the final product
 Have both print and online
version of Report Card
available in May 2008
hired two Graduate Assistants to:

13. Community Report Card
The Budget
Item
Estimated
Cost
Funds
Received
Funds Needed
Personnel—Research,
Writing and Web
$19,200 $10,000 $9,200
Personnel, Staff
Support and Editorial
Review
$1,280 In Kind $0
Printing/Binding $3,000 In Kind $0
Marketing $2,000 $0 $2000
Total $25,480 $10,000 $11,200
Personnel:
 Two graduate assistants shall conduct research and write the Community
Report Card and one faculty member shall provide direction for the students.
 Staff support and editorial review, approximately 40 hours at $32.00 per hour.
Printing and Binding:
 1,000 copies of a 32 page booklet (full color cover, two color pages inside).
Marketing and Press Conference:
 Press release, invitations to a reception/press conference and refreshments.

14. Community Report Card
Our Funders….Making a difference in our communities. Thank you for supporting this health
initiative!
 Boehringer Ingelheim
 Danbury Hospital
 Fairfield County Bank
 Fairfield County Community Foundation
 Savings Bank of Danbury
 Union Savings Bank
 United Way of Western Connecticut
 Western Connecticut State University

15. Community Report Card
Feedback
The data secured on the
indicators will be shared
with stakeholders before
it is published