CHA 2018

Executive Summary

The Community Health Assessment

The Community Health Assessment Community health assessment is the foundation of health improvement for a community. Its purpose is to identify the factors that affect the health and quality of life of the community and to identify the resources available to address these factors. By systematically identifying a county’s most pressing concerns, county leadership can make strategic choices in allocating resources and track progress on issues with an aim of steady, incremental progress towards the goal of creating healthier communities and a healthier state.

The Assessment Process The Pender County Health Department leads a community health assessment (CHA) every four years. The process involves working collaboratively across sectors with a CHA steering committee, collecting and analyzing health data, setting priorities for health improvement and creating action plans to make measurable changes over the next CHA cycle. Working in consultation with the North Carolina Institute for Public Health at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, the health department formed a steering committee representing myriad sectors in the county (see table at left) to go through the eight steps of community health assessment outlined by the North Carolina Division of Public Health. County residents participated in the CHA process by way of a community health opinion survey and community forums to help choose the health department’s priority areas. In the 2018 Pender County Community Health Assessment, the 70- question community health opinion survey (CHOS) took place over three days, with nearly 200 randomly-selected community members responding. Community stakeholders, organizations and the general public were all invited to attend public forums to participate in the priority setting process.

The Assessment Process

The Pender County Health Department leads a community health assessment (CHA) every four years. The process involves working collaboratively across sectors with a CHA steering committee, collecting and analyzing health data, setting priorities for health improvement and creating action plans to make measurable changes over the next CHA cycle. Working in consultation with the North Carolina Institute for Public Health at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, the health department formed a steering committee representing myriad sectors in the county (see table at left) to go through the eight steps of community health assessment outlined by the North Carolina Division of Public Health. County residents participated in the CHA process by way of a community health opinion survey and community forums to help choose the health department’s priority areas. In the 2018 Pender County Community Health Assessment, the 70- question community health opinion survey (CHOS) took place over three days, with nearly 200 randomly-selected community members responding. Community stakeholders, organizations and the general public were all invited to attend public forums to participate in the priority setting process.

Comparisons and Targets

The CHA team collected health and socioeconomic statistics from local, county and state sources. Data collected in the health assessment was compared to two peer counties as well as the state of North Carolina, where appropriate. The two peer counties, Carteret and Franklin, were chosen for their similarities to Pender County in measures such as population characteristics, density, geography and demographics. Comparing the county to these peers helps demonstrate how 7 healthy the county is to similar counties in terms of various determinants of health. Data points were also compared to the targets for the Healthy North Carolina 2020 objectives, which serve as the state’s health improvement plan. Gaps in jurisdictional comparisons or in the Healthy North Carolina 2020 targets, as well as emerging trends and disparities, combined to shed light on the overall health of the community. These included areas of progress and opportunities for improvement.

Priorities

Priorities

After the CHA team collected and reviewed assessment data and compared it to peer jurisdictions and Healthy North Carolina 2020 benchmarks, the results were narrowed down to ten categories and presented to the community at two forums. Following the presentation of the top areas, community members were asked to vote on their top three choices for the next Community Health Assessment cycle. Results from the forums were presented to the steering committee, which also voted on the topics. With the community and steering committee input, Pender County Health Department leadership reviewed the topic areas for importance and actionability, keeping in mind the ones that might offer opportunities for new programs and partnerships. The priority areas that will be incorporated into health planning over the next four years are: Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders, Nutrition and Physical Activity and Cancer Education and Prevention. The following infographics display key findings for each of the priority areas. Once the CHA results have been shared with the community, the steering committee and other stakeholders work together to develop community health improvement plans for each of the priorities. Pender County Health Department will lead the effort to develop measurable objectives related to each priority, identify evidence-based strategies and make plans to track progress over the next four years.

Priorities at a Glance

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