Community Health Assessment sets health priorities

It's time for the health agencies in Kane County to seek input from residents on what they think are the top health priorities in their communities. That means that the Kane County Health Department and its partners are in the process of completing a Community Health Assessment and creating a Community Health Improvement Plan. The previous CHIP can be found at www.kanehealthcounts.org.

Kane County's five county hospitals, Presence Mercy Medical Center, Presence St. Joseph, Northwestern Medicine Delnor, Rush-Copley Medical Center and Advocate Sherman, along with the INC Board, have partnered with the health department to develop the Community Health Assessment and collaborate on identifying and prioritizing the needs of county residents. The health department and its partners conduct a comprehensive Community Health Assessment every three years to identify the top health priorities in our community.

A phone survey is being conducted by a professional research firm, reaching out to 1,400 Kane County residents. The survey includes questions on health care access, health behaviors, mental health, preventive screening and childhood development. The data collected helps to present a complete picture of the health status of Kane County. Results of the assessment will be used to develop a Community Health Improvement Plan that helps agencies make Kane County a healthier place to live, work and play.

Periodic health assessments help us examine changes to the health of our community and help Kane County residents lead healthy, happy, flourishing lives. Combined with planning, a community health assessment can be used to determine the overall health of the community and identify key health issues facing the community. This new data helps the Kane County Health Department and other agencies adapt programming and resources to best meet the needs of Kane County residents.