Population Health refers to the health outcomes of a group of individuals, including how those health outcomes are distributed throughout each group. In this case, “groups” of people are defined by geography, gender, race/ethnicity, socio-economic status, or health status. Additional groups could include employees, disabled persons, or prisoners, among others. Our work in population health focuses on identifying the specific health needs of the community and addressing social determinants of health to eliminate health inequities.

Here at FDRHPO, our work within the realm of population health began in 2013, when we were awarded a New York State Department of Health grant to serve our three-county region as a Rural Health Network Development Program. We currently remain one of 32 Rural Health Network Development Program in NYS.
Our efforts to improve health outcomes were enhanced in 2015 after securing a five-year NYSDOH Population Health Improvement Program (PHIP) grant, making us one of 11 PHIPs in the State.
Thanks to a third NYSDOH grant, Linking Interventions for Total Population Health (LIFT), we further expanded our efforts in 2017 to include work in addressing obesity and diabetes.
While grant-funded projects come and go, our commitment to the overall health and wellness of the region, through our work in these four key population health strategy areas, remains strong:
- Data collection & analysis
- Stakeholder engagement
- Infrastructure development & support
- Health messaging & promotion
What are our Population Health Priorities?
Our approach to improving population health in the North Country is multi-faceted. To gauge the unique health concerns of our region, we conduct thorough community health surveys every few years. Then, we assess the results and form a community health improvement plan.
Currently, our region’s priority areas are:
Health Compass
To achieve our goals, FDRHPO relies heavily on strong partnerships with the North Country community.
In 2013, we convened North Country Health Compass Partners to assist and inform our work around population health in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties. North Country Health Compass Partners is a collaborative of local hospitals, public health agencies, behavioral healthcare providers, prevention councils, education institutions, insurance providers, and community-based organizations. The group meets monthly to discuss, brainstorm, and review the community’s population health priorities.
This three-county region is the most sparsely populated but geographically largest in New York State with over 250,000 people residing in over 5,000 square miles of land mass. This region is dedicated as a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). The area is unique in that the region’s community healthcare system supports Fort Drum, the only installation in the US Army with a division of Soldiers and families without an on-post hospital. Most specialty care and all inpatient care for the 40,000 Tricare beneficiaries in the region is provided by community hospitals and healthcare providers.
Regional healthcare data, including interactive charts, graphs, and dashboards for all of our population health priority areas is available upon request. Please click HERE to let us know what information you need; we’re happy to assist.
OUR MISSION: To develop, implement, and evaluation a regional health improvement initiative through research, data analysis, community engagement, and collaboration among public health departments, hospitals, healthcare providers, community-based organizations, and the general public.
OUR VISION: Improved system for health for all residents of the North Country region.
Want to learn more?
If you have questions about FDRHPO’s population health priorities or initiatives, our population health team can help you out! Get to know us below to see who might be your best contact.