• Examine the health and social service needs of the community.
• Develop strategies to improve health and social service planning, coordination and decision-making.
• Reassess relative roles of local government and community-based organizations in developing and influencing health policy.
• Reduce reliance on government funding by developing alternative funding mechanisms and volunteer capacity.
• Mobilize and empower citizens from diverse sectors of the community to focus on health and to effect change.
• Facilitate the establishment of local health councils.

1997

• In February a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the CEE and US partners.
• Leaders of the two Slovak communities participated in a planning meeting to identify Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) that identified 10 health and social service areas of focus on which their partnership trips were based:
• Planning, advocacy and the role of local government in health reform.
• Rehabilitation, hospice, home and long-term care.
• Changing roles of physicians and nurses.
• Community health programs: caring for disadvantaged populations.
• Role of non-profit health and social service organizations: volunteerism and fundraising.
• Recreation and concerns of youth, families and communities.
• Coordination of care: health and social service.
• Community health education: wellness promotion and disease prevention.
• In June, the Banska Bystrica partners held a one-day dissemination workshop for 35 people from both Martin and Banska Bystrica. City councilors, representatives of the city district and government and non-profit organizations, and leaders from social service institutions gathered to learn more about AIHA, USAID and community health methodologies.
• The community of Banska Bystrica hosted the AIHA Healthy Communities/Healthy Cities Dissemination Conference, November 19-21.

• Banska Bystrica published the City Health Plan in October. The Plan included information on city improvement programs and plans for future goals. The community of Banska Bystrica has used the City Health Plan when applying for grants from sponsors such as the European Union and WHO's Healthy Cities.
• Promoted Teachers' Health to maintain high standard of quality education, beginning in September 1998.
• Assisted in the establishment of a Palliative Care Center for the long-term and chronically ill.
• Two faculty representing the Association of University Programs in Health Administration and two faculty from the MetroHealth System conducted two health management workshops for the community health partnerships, one in March and the other in May. Twenty-six physicians and community health leaders from the communities of Banska Bystrica, Martin, Turcianske Teplice and Petrzalka developed projects to initiate in their communities. Projects developed during the first workshop included anti-drug programs, care for the elderly and disabled, and training of first aid for career drivers. The second workshop was an opportunity to discuss how to further develop and implement their initiatives.
• The Martin Hospice Foundation held a Chinese cooking demonstration fundraising event in September for more than 120 people from Slovakia, including the US Ambassador to Slovakia. The foundation managed to raise over $1,200 through admission tickets, a raffle, and cookbook sales. The class was conducted by a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer, who is also a former chef for US TV/CNN, and has been working with the hospice group in Martin for the past one and one-half years. The Rotary Club of Zilina sponsored a reception following the demonstration.

• On April 26, AIHA's Executive Director, the Mayor of the City of Martin, and the Health Advisor at USAID/Bratislava provided keynote addresses at a ceremony marking the opening of a Non-Smoking Promotion Center in Martin, Slovakia. The Center is located at the State Health Institute, which donated the space for the project.
• During a partnership exchange in June, US and Slovak partners participated in a one-day workshop in Bratislava sponsored by EU/PHARE and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs on the education of social workers, and the "professionalization" of social work in Slovakia. Over fifty representatives of non-governmental organizations, social work departments of municipal governments, and other social sectors from across Slovakia participated in the workshop. Participants included AIHA partnership representatives from Martin, Petrzalka, and Banska Bystrica.
• On October 18, a formal closing ceremony was held in Bratislava for all AIHA/Slovakia partnerships. The event marked the graduation of the partnerships and celebrated their many accomplishments. Both CEE and US partners attended the event, along with AIHA and USAID officials.

Banska Bystrica

• Health and social services have increased through the successful lobbying efforts by the community. As a result, 20 beds have been added in the Geriatric Department of FDR Hospital, and 16 beds were added to in-patient nursing care in the Jesen Home (retirement home) and 12 new basketball playgrounds were set up in the housing estates.
• Partners established a full-service Hospice Center, based on the visits and interaction with staff at the Hospice of the Western Reserve, Cleveland.
• Partners developed and implemented a plan to recruit volunteers among the Matej Bel University students to improve the quality of life among those community members in need of social services.
• Expanded the Learning Resource Center, located in City Hall, as a resource for all medical and social workers.
• Created the Health Forum, modeled after Cleveland's Federation for Community Planning, to guide health and social service institutions. The forum was established in June 1998.
• Developed social work curriculum based on the exchanges between the Matej Bel and Cleveland State Universities.
• Created Women and Health Seminars to educate women on issues concerning their health and their children's health.
• Established a Center for Fundraising for health and social service non-governmental organizations, based on the United Way services observed in Cleveland. Additionally, the Slovak partners are planning to establish an international branch of the United Way.
• Designed a project for the privatization and operation of the currently state-owned polyclinic.
• Created the Banska Bystrica Community Coalition which consists of representatives of schools and academic institutions, the urban planning office, health providers, state health institute, non-government organizations, businesses, city legislative bodies and the city hall administration.
• Non-governmental organizations are now represented on the Social and Health Affairs Committee.
• Efforts are now being made to explore the possibilities for adequate and affordable housing for Banska Bystrica's disadvantaged.
• Action plans were developed for the delivery of health and social services to the elderly.
• Began the process of developing a senior citizens survey to understand current needs of the elderly.
• Initiated a survey of school students to understand their life, habits and interaction with peers.

Martin

• Partners opened a Non-Smoking Promotion Center at the State Health Institute in Martin. The Center serves as a coordination point for local training activities, advocacy planning for national legislative reforms, development of smoking prevention campaigns for children and youth, and regional counseling services for smoking cessation.
• The mayor of Martin opened a Healthy City office in the Martin City Hall to support and help enforce an anti-smoking campaign. City Hall enforces the campaign with fines based on recently passed anti-smoking laws.
• Started monitoring the health status and dietary patterns of teenagers.
• Began a lobbying effort to have vaccinations against infections caused by Haemophillus Influenza, to be fully reimbursable by insurance companies.
• Carried out a community-based initiative to vaccinate against invasive hemophilic infections.
• Increased public awareness of palliative care and demand for this care, especially by cancer patients.
• Increased emphasis by health professionals on health promotion and primary prevention.
• Increased the emphasis on educational activities for health professionals.
• Increased the awareness to be responsible for one's own health.
• Fostered the promotion of patient's rights.
• A smoking cessation project in four elementary schools in Martin surveys students to measure: a) smoking experience, b) attitudes towards pro-smoking advertisements, c) exposure through second-hand smoke, d) family history of smoking, e) family history of alcohol abuse, and f) exposure/experience to marijuana smoking. After the results are collected, intervention programs and lectures are created based on survey findings. The ultimate goal of this project is longitudinal surveys to compare students from schools with interventions and without interventions.
• Two Martin doctors began lobbying the Ministry of Health to make their smoking cessation efforts a national campaign.
• Partnership representatives collaborated with the World Health Organization (WHO) on global strategies in smoking prevention and cessation.
• The Martin Hospice Foundation was awarded a 1,150,000 SK grant ($32,900 approx.) from EU-PHARE. The foundation had to compete against fifty other organizations to win this first-place grant, which is the largest grant the foundation has received to date.