Western NC Falls Prevention Coalition

• Strategic Planning: After subsequent data and research is gathered, this committee will work to create a strategic plan that is representative of the WNCFPCs history, mission and vision statements, goals, and is representative of the data and research that is gathered. It is recommended that this committee follow the design and suggested goals/action steps of the NCFPC state strategic action plan. This committee will be collaborative and work with all of the committees to make sure all major considerations are met and recognized. The strategic plan could include the creation of an evaluation plan to ensure that strategies and goals are met. This committee will also be aware of adding language that is representative of strengths-based fall prevention messaging, health equity and inclusive language, and the recognition of a shared risk and protective factors framework.  
• Research and Data: This committee will identify county specific demographics, examining the social determinants of health, and current evidence-based data around fall prevention to assist in developing the coalition’s strategic plan. This committee will develop County Specific Resource lists to be shared on our webpage and other key webpages such as regional Area Agencies on Aging. This committee will collaborate with other committees as needed to ensure accurate data is collected and appropriate research is being presented. The committee will develop County Specific Resource lists to be shared on our webpage and other key webpages such as regional Area Agencies on Aging.
• Education:  The committee will continue the tradition of an Annual Fall Prevention Conference with MAHEC (Mountain Area Health Education Center) as a partner and engage other strategic education partners as needed, organize, and provide educational programs at each quarterly Coalition meeting to engage, educate, and represent a diverse group of stakeholders.
• Communication and Marketing: This committee will work on building a WNCFPC specific facebook page, communicating any website updates to the NCFPC, build a sustainable communication plan for membership in partnership with the Executive Committee (which may include but not limited too: listserv identification, email reminders/check-ins etc.) and research ways to increase and maintain coalition membership. 

WNCFPC Mission 

The WNC Fall Prevention Coalition is committed to reducing the number of falls and fall-related injuries in Western North Carolina. 

WNCFPC Vision 

The WNC Fall Prevention Coalition continues to assist the population of Western North Carolina in reducing the number of falls and fall-related injuries through focused, coordinated effort with health care, governmental and community partnerships through evidence-based programming, infrastructure development and maintenance, community awareness and education, risk assessment, multifactorial interventions, data collection and evaluation, and advocacy for supportive local/state/federal governmental actions.

WNCFPC History

March 24, 2009 – The Western NC Falls Prevention Coalition began as the WNC Falls Prevention Taskforce representing the Land of the Sky Area Agency on Aging counties of: Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, and Transylvania. The taskforce met quarterly and consisted of five members: Rebecca Chaplin, Area Agency on Aging; Jade Frank, UNCA WASA Project Coordinator; Mark Johnson, RN, EMS, Trauma Injury Prevention, Mission Hospital; Rowan Lischerelli, Mission Hospital, Intern Dept. of Integrative Medicine; Amy Lunsford, Mission Hospitals YMCA Reuter Center Wellness Clinic. AAA/Land of Sky counties participated in the taskforce.

2010 – Rebecca Chaplin from the Area Agency on Aging served the WNC Falls Prevention Taskforce as the first chair until 2014. At the first meeting, the following committees were established: Community Awareness & Education; Provider Education; Community Screening & Referral; and Advocacy for Supportive Policies & Environments. 

2012-2013 – Dr. Kate Queen, from Haywood Community Hospital in partnership with MAHEC and several groups received a grant as a part of the WNC Health Network Triple Aim Project to create individual specific county falls prevention coalitions in WNC. Counties that established their own county coalition included in Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Madison, and McDowell counties. This included their hospitals, health departments, home health agencies, EMS, senior center, and other older adult community focused groups. 

2014 – Stephanie Stewart, from Land of the Sky Area Agency on Aging, became the WNC Fall Prevention Taskforce chair. The taskforce conducted monthly lunch meetings at Mission Hospital in Asheville with the following subcommittees: 

1. Community Awareness and Education: to develop marketing materials to engage and inform the public about fall risks and proven strategies to reduce falls, 

2. Care Transitions: to educate and advocate for Supportive Policies and Environments for Fall Prevention in Long Term Care and Care Transitions, 

3. Provider Education: to identify, develop and implement training programs for both clinical and community providers raising awareness about falls prevention, and 

4. Community Screening and Referral: Western Carolina University Physical Therapy Program created Building Better Balance, a falls prevention program with trained laypersons offering community-based falls prevention screens. 

During this year, the WNC Falls Prevention Taskforce grew to eighty-two individuals listed as members.

2014-2015 – Individual county specific coalition members who were part of the WNC Health Network Triple Aim Project began attending the WNC Falls Prevention Taskforce being held at Mission Hospital after the grant funding sources were depleted.

2015 – MAHEC began hosting the WNC Falls Prevention Taskforce’s monthly lunch meetings.  WNC Falls Prevention Taskforce was renamed The Western NC Falls Prevention Coalition. Monthly meetings were continuing with an educational presentation each meeting followed by committee break out session. 

2016– Heather Bauer, with Home Instead Senior Care and Ayden Jones, NCHWC, became the Co-Chairs of Western NC Falls Prevention Coalition until the end of 2017 with monthly meetings at MAHEC. 

2017- Fall of 2017 Cynthia Moses became Chair.  At the end of 2017, MAHEC was no longer able to host the meetings due to limited space. 

2018- In 2018 WNCFPC partnered with Mission Hospital to host the coalition quarterly meeting in person and  with their WebEx service allowing members to attend virtually( pre- COVID ).  Cynthia Moses, PT and an advisory transition committee began meeting with consultation from Ali Climo, PhD from Healthy Aging Buncombe County.   The coalition did not meet from March 2018 until November 2018 during this transitional period in an effort to strengthen the coalition.

2019 – In Spring of 2019, WNCFPC held the first Annual Falls Prevention Conference in partnership with MAHEC.  Quarterly coalition meetings continued at Mission both in person and virtually with educational programs. In 2019, Cynthia Moses, PT, WNCFPC chair began sending out quarterly email updates with meeting invitations. 

2020 – In March of 2020 WNCFPC held the 2nd annual Fall Prevention Spring Conference with continued partnership with MAHEC which was held both live with limited seating and virtually due to the COVID 19 Virus Pandemic.  WNCFPC Quarterly meetings transitioned from in-person to a virtual platform due to the COVID 19 Virus pandemic. In October 2020-Stephanie Stewart from Land of the Sky Area Agency on Aging became the Western NC Falls Prevention Coalition Chair until November 2020, Martha Zimmerman, PT became the chair.  

2021 – In January, Jennie Rhyne, PT joined Martha Zimmerman, PT became Co-Chairs of the WNCFPC. During the spring of 2021, Morgan Wilson, MPH from the NCHWC at UNCA became WNCFPC Secretary and began hosting the quarterly meetings via Zoom. The WNCFPC had their first 2 student interns obtained from the COVID Service Corp during the summer of 2021, Michael Bidstrup, a recent UNC-CH Statistics graduate and Divya Venkataganesan, 2nd Year MPH at UNC-CH.   New Advisory Council members were recruited to provide representation the nine coalition counties of: Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Madison, McDowell, Polk, Rutherford, and Transylvania and at the end of 2021 the 5 additional counties were added Cherokee, Macon, Swain, Clay and Graham counties. 

2022 – Divya Venkatganesan, MPH joined us as secretary as Morgan Wilson finished up her term in Dec. 2021.   Divya is managing our Facebook page and is chairing the Communication and Membership Committee; the Communications and Membership Committee created the first WNCFPC Quarterly Newsletter: The Balanced Broadcast. The coalition also developed our first WNCFPC 2022 Manual to share with interested parties that includes our new mission, vision and history, thanks to Weyland Prebor, McDowell Senior Center Director and committee chair. Brea Kuykendal, MHS from Land of the Sky, joined the executive committee as the Liaison to the NC Falls Prevention Coalition.  Sara Knapp, the chair of the research and data committee developed a PowerPoint presentation with regional and specific research data and presented to the Quebec Senior Center in Transylvania County with plans to create a coalition speaker’s bureau. September 9, 2022 is the date scheduled for the 4th annual Falls Prevention Conference with MAHEC thanks to Rosalyn Wasserman, PT. 

WNCFPC BYLAWS

WNCFPC BYLAWS

2023 WNCFPC Manual

Data provided by the NC Division of Public Health, Injury Violence and Prevention Branch

https://ncfallsprevention.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Falls-by-County-Table-Maps-2018.pdf

• WNC County Specific Fall Statistics

• SDoH WNCFPC County specific Chart

Final WNCFPC Newsletter – Volume 1, Issue 1 Summer

WNCFPC Committee 2021 Report Card

• January 14, 2022 9:00am-10:30am (virtual)
  • Click HERE for Minutes and Meeting Materials
  • Click HERE to download Healthy Aging NC Presentation
• April 8, 2022 9:00-10:30am (virtual)
  • April 8, 2022 Quarterly Coalition Meeting
  • Educational Presentation: McDowell Community Care Paramedic Program and Falls Prevention 
• July 8, 2022 9:00am-10:30am (virtual)
  • July 8, 2022 Quarterly Coalition Meeting 3 – Meeting Minutes 
  • Click HERE to download Low Vision & Falls Presentation

• March 3rd, 2021, 8:30am-10am (virtual)
  • Click HERE for Minutes and Meeting Materials

• June 2nd, 2021, 8:30am-10am (virtual)
  • Click HERE to watch the Meeting Recording
  • Click HERE to download Meeting Minutes

• September 1st, 2021, 8:30am-10am (virtual)
  • Click HERE to download Meeting Minutes
  • Click HERE to download PACE Presentation
• December 1st, 2021, 8:30am-10am (virtual)

Buncombe County – WNC Falls Prevention Coalition MYZ 5-13-22

Cherokee County – WNC Falls Prevention Coalition MYZ 5-13-22

Clay County – WNC Falls Prevention Coalition MYZ 5-13-22

Graham County – WNC Falls Prevention Coalition MYZ 5-13-22

Haywood County – WNC Falls Prevention Coalition MYZ 5-13-22

Henderson County – WNC Falls Prevention Coalition MYZ 5-13-22

Jackson County – WNC Falls Prevention Coalition MYZ 5-13-22

Macon County – WNC Falls Prevention Coalition MYZ 5-13-22

Madison County – WNC Falls Prevention Coalition MYZ 5-13-22

McDowell County – WNC Falls Prevention Coalition MYZ 5-13-22

Polk County – WNC Falls Prevention Coalition MYZ 5-13-22

Rutherford County – WNC Falls Prevention Coalition MYZ 5-13-22

Swain County – WNC Falls Prevention Coalition MYZ 5-13-22

Transylvania County – WNC Falls Prevention Coalition MYZ 5-13-22