HHCC discusses health needs assessment, plans ahead

BY BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

The Healthy Henry County Communities (HHCC) Board of Directors were expected to review the community health needs assessment during its monthly meeting Tuesday.

And while the board did discuss the assessment, they opted not to have a full-fledged review because much of the assessment data was several years old.

Kelly Carr, HHCC coordinator, told the board that the needs assessment is compiled to promote healthy behaviors. ?The assessment, though, is not native to our organization,? Carr noted. ?It is put together by the (county) health department and the Henry County Health Center and is a requirement of the state department of health.?

Board members said it was difficult to assess if HHCC strategies were working because the data on the assessment was old (compiled in 2010-14). ?How are we going to know if our programs are working with such old data?? asked Lisa Rees, of Winfield. ??That makes it difficult to know if our programs are working.?

Data revealed that 28 percent of adults in the county have no leisure time for physical activity; 13 percent of the county residents are in poor or fair health; 10 percent of county residents have diabetes; adult obesity was at 33 percent; 17 percent of adults smoked; 20 percent were excessive drinkers; and just 20 percent of the adult population has access to exercise opportunities.

Obesity and substance abuse, Carr said are HHCC?s top targets and the organization is diligent in educating the public on better lifestyle choices.

Substance abuse statistics from 2014 revealed that marijuana use is prevalent in Henry County. Some 16 percent of 11th-graders and four percent of eighth-graders said they had tried marijuana. In addition 33 percent of 11th-graders and 19 percent of eighth and ninth-graders said smoking marijuana once a week presents no health risk or only a slight risk.

The students also admitted they have encountered some peer pressure to smoke marijuana ? 13 percent of 11th-graders said they would be ?a lot more popular? or ?more popular? if they smoked marijuana. Additionally, 12 percent of 11th-graders and three percent of eighth-graders said that most students in their school would feel it is ?not wrong at all? to smoke marijuana.

Moving over to alcohol, 83 percent of 11th-graders said alcohol was easy or very easy to obtain. Twenty-eight percent of 11th-grade students in 2014 said there was only a slight to no risk of harm from drinking five or more drinks twice weekly.

Following more discussion the consensus of the group was that its programs were successful. ?We are doing the right kinds of things,? noted Ed Kropa.

Board members also looked ahead to the Henry County Fair and the July 22 Rock Around the Block.

Carr said HHCC would be selling wraps again at the county fair, which begins next week. She said that the menu would be increased this year with a couple of salad choices added. Other food items include yogurt, baked chips, fruit and smoothies. Food will be served Thursday-Sunday (July 14-17).

The Henry County Health Center will be one of the sponsors of the July 22 Rock Around the Block in Mt. Pleasant. While the health center will be having a health fair in conjunction with Rock Around the Block, HHCC will be grilling fruit and samples of other things from 5:30-8 p.m., Carr said, to promote healthy eating.

Other agenda items had Carr showing a short video clip of HHCC?s Text-a-tip program in which people can give anonymous tips if they see underage partying, drinking or drug use. The clip will be shown preceding movies the next six months at the Main Street Cinemas, in Mt. Pleasant.

The June 18 Swedesburg-Olds Fun Day was successful, Carr reflected. ?We had great day, weather-wise, and a very good turnout. We had at least 200 people based on t-shirt sales. It went over very well,? she stated. This year?s event was hosted in conjunction with the Swedesburg Evangelical Lutheran Church?s 150th anniversary.

Another HHCC board member is needed, Carr said. In discussing the matter with Henry County Health Center CEO Robb Gardner, Carr said Gardner suggested Michelle Rosell. Rosell is Henry County Health Center?s COO.

Carr said Rosell could serve as an ex-officio member, which means she would be a member due to her service as a director of the health center. She would have voting rights as long as it was not a conflict of interest.

HHCC board members approved having Rosell on the board.

Next meeting for the HHCC directors will be Tuesday, Aug. 2, at 1 p.m., in the Henry County Health Center Health Education Center.