Mental health, nutrition and physical activity declared priorities for Washington County

The health status of community residents is not only the responsibility of doctors, hospitals, and health care providers. Many things affect the community?s health, from the environment to the people who live in it. Every five years, the Iowa Department of Public Health and the local public health department lead the Community Health Needs Assessment for our county. The process requires community members to get involved in making decisions about improving their health. Involvement of and support from the many areas of the community significantly improve and strengthen the local planning process.

During the months of June and July, Washington County Public Health partnered with over 40 organizations and community members to conduct the Washington County Community Health Needs Assessment. During a series of three meetings, a wide variety of health-related topics were discussed, including healthy lifestyles, disease prevention, injury prevention, elder care, mental health care, and environmental health. At the conclusion of the third meeting, the community members voted on the top three health priorities, areas on which to focus for the next five years. The top three priorities are: Physical Activity Throughout Life, Nutrition and Food Systems and Access to Mental Health Care.

?Volunteers who are interested in working on a specific health priority should call the public health department to learn more about how they can help," said Danielle Pettit-Majewski, administrator for Washington County Public Health. The phone number for Washington County Public Health is 319-653-7758. Or, e-mail us at lfisher@washph.com.