HHCC board ponders best way to improve county?s overall health

BY BRYCE KELLY

Mt. Pleasant News

A closer look at the latest results of a community health needs assessment has the Health Henry County Communities board (HHCC) asking what they can do or should continue to do to better improve the overall health of the county.

While the needs assessment was quite lengthy, the board did highlight several areas that they feel the county needs to address according to general public data. According to data from the survey asking citizens to identify the biggest ongoing health concerns in the community, obesity/weight loss issues, cancer, mental health/suicide/depression, drug/alcohol abuse, and heart disease/stroke were named as the top five concerns.

?Suicide, obesity and the chronic health conditions that come with that (obesity) ? these are all issues, and I think most of us are aware of this,? said Community Health Director, Travis Johnson. ?So, how can Healthy Henry County Communities move some of these areas into a more positive direction? That?s really what needs to be discussed, I think.?

The assessment compiles data from state health reports, as well as surveys taken by Henry County citizens concerning areas such as promoting health behaviors, preventing injuries, protecting against environmental hazards, preventing the spread of disease, responding to public health emergencies and strengthening the health infrastructure.

And while the survey data did show the aforementioned issues as being concerns of county residents, HHCC board members are still seeking more data and clarity as the survey, which was voluntary, was filled out by only about 80 Henry County citizens.

?I do think we need to pay attention to these findings, but I wonder if more in-depth study is needed to make sure this is representative of the county as a whole,? board member Rose Lauer commented. ?The total number of surveys (completed and returned) was low, and sometimes state data isn?t always as telling as you want it to be once you start breaking it apart and examining it deeper.?

The board agreed, with several board members adding that if the data holds true, the board should consider tackling each problem individually, rather than trying to find remedies for each concern all at once.

?Maybe at our next board meeting, I should pick out one or two of these issues and really study it more in-depth, and see if HHCC is already addressing it, or if there are other ways we could help address the issues, maybe through an organization outside of this group,? HHCC coordinator, Kelly Carr suggested.

The board agreed with Carr, with both Ken Brown and Lisa Oetken also suggesting that as the board begins the process of addressing the concerns shown in the survey, that socioeconomic factors also be kept in mind, as the pair believed those were important in ultimately addressing and solving concerns.

According to state reports released within the community health needs assessment, 34.62 percent of Henry County citizens live in poverty, and the median household income (from 1999 to 2013) was $46,376. Furthermore, the same report suggests the uninsured population is numbered at roughly 9.89 percent.

?This is all very eye-opening,? said Oetken, adding that while she believed these issues are all multi-faceted, they do deserve to be addressed for the sake of Henry County residents? health and happiness. ?It comes down to the people of this county deciding how they want to live life to the fullest, and what they want the future of Henry County to look like.?

Carr ended the discussion on the recent health needs assessment saying she and Johnson would continue to add the areas of concern to future agendas for the board to look at more closely.

In other board news, a review of the March 2016 financial report was approved, as were the minutes of the April 2016 meeting.

The next HHCC board meeting will be held on June 7, 2016, at 1 p.m., in Henry County Health Center?s Health Education Center.