VISION AND LEADERSHIP

Iredell County’s community health assessment involves a thorough examination of the health status, resources, and challenges specific to the local population. This process is vital for understanding the unique health needs of Iredell County residents. Vision and leadership are essential components as they guide the assessment towards meaningful insights, foster community engagement, and inspire coordinated efforts to enhance public health initiatives within the county. Effective leadership ensures that the assessment aligns with the long-term vision for a healthier and thriving community in Iredell County.

The Iredell County 2023 Health Assessments priorities are identified through a community survey that actively involves residents. This survey serves as a valuable tool to gather insights directly from the community members, allowing them to voice their health concerns and priorities. Visionary leadership plays a key role in designing and implementing this survey, ensuring it captures a comprehensive understanding of the community’s health needs. The collected data is then analyzed to identify prevalent health issues, and priorities are determined based on the survey results. This inclusive approach empowers Iredell County residents to actively contribute to determining the public health agenda, promoting a community-driven and responsive approach to addressing local health challenges.

Additional insights were contributed by the Healthy Iredell Taskforce and the residents of Iredell County. The completion of the community health assessment owes its thoroughness to their valuable input. The assessment is accessible to the community through both hard copy and electronic formats, available at any time in the Iredell County Health Department website and distributed to key agencies for widespread dissemination.

PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION

The Iredell County Health Department is committed to enhancing community well-being through strategic health planning. Our mission is to empower local health entities by identifying gaps and addressing Iredell’s health prioritiesand concerns. We foster effective collaborations with key community leaders, residents, and maintain longstanding partnerships with local agencies, government, school systems, and municipalities.

Our dedication to our community health assessment is diligent, with the process solely conducted by the Iredell County Health Department, dedicated partners, and engaged community members. We value and appreciate the valuable feedback from our community, ensuring that the assessment is a true reflection of local health needs, without relying on outside regional or contracted services. Together, we strive to continually improve the health of Iredell County through informed, community driven initiatives.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND DATA COLLECTION PROCESS

The ecological model, active in creating the 2023 Iredell County Community Health assessment, is a comprehensive framework that examines health outcomes through the interaction of individuals and their environment at multiple levels, including individual, interpersonal, community, and societal factors.

The assessment process involved the Healthy Iredell Taskforce, who aligned selected priorities with initiatives outlined in Healthy North Carolina 2030, the state’s health improvement plan. This strategic alignment ensured local health goals were in harmony with broader state objectives, developing a coordinated approach to address health challenges and promoting overall-wellbeing in the community.

The assessment utilized a balance of primary and secondary data. Our primary data collection involved an electronic web survey, also offered as hard copy, designed to update key health indicators, identify emerging public health issues among adults and children, and trail trends over a 6-month period. The survey explored beyond individual disease risk factors, addressing root causes of poor health, including physical factors and the social environment, surrounding aspects like safety, poverty, and educational attainment.

The 2023 Iredell County Community Health Assessment was accessible in both English and Spanish. The survey questions were crafted by Healthy Iredell, a task force including partners and community members. After development, the questions underwent approval from the county. The survey, open from May 1^st to November 1^st, 2023, garnered responses from 614 residents, achieving a 100% completion rate, with an average time spent of 10 minutes and 31 seconds, the survey data was collected using an online software.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND DATA COLLECTION PROCESS

The 2023 Iredell County Community Health Assessment survey was distributed through outreach events, partners, local organization setups, and direct distribution to patients and clients at the health department. An online QR code link facilitated easy access, featured on various organizations and partners websites. Additionally, over 4,700 QR-coded postcard surveys were sent through the United States Postal Service Every Door Direct Mail, targeting specific zip codes in Statesville, Mooresville, Troutman, Harmony, Union Grove, Love Valley, and Olin. This approach ensured data collection from diverse geographical areas of Iredell County, surrounding households across educational and income levels, which also included vulnerable populations and those living below the poverty level.

The respondent’ geographical breakdown is as follows: Statesville 57%, Mooresville 25%, Troutman 8%, Harmony 5%, Union Grove 3%, Love Valley 1%, and Olin 1%. Survey results were analyzed by Healthy Iredell, and top priorities for Iredell County were selected by referencing comparative data from the North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, Kids Count Data Center, NC Child Data Card, and other published sources mentioned throughout the document.

A Delphi method, adapted for this purpose, was employed to assess the analysis method to identify similar trends and health issues by the Healthy Iredell Taskforce in Iredell County. Utilizing both qualitative and quantitative data, the study prioritized key health concerns. Challenges arose in determining top priorities, including assessing potential improvement impact, prioritizing amenability to change, identifying relevant community programs, evaluating influencing factors, and establishing measurability.

This method facilitated the collection and analysis of data to determine the ranking of health priorities in Iredell County, concluding the creation of the CHA document. On behalf of the Healthy Iredell Taskforce, we are delighted to present for your personal and/or agency utilization. 

COLLABORATIVE PROCESS

The 2023 Iredell County Community Health Assessment compromised eight phases: team establishment, primary data collection, secondary data collection, analysis of primary and secondary data, priority determination, document approval, document dissemination, and community health improvement plan (CHIP) development.

KEY FINDINGS

The vital outcome of the CHA process revealed significant alignment in data between key informants and external sources, highlighting predominant similarities that emphasize the reliability and consistency of the gathered information.

The survey findings indicate a strong correlation between responses from CHA participants and the county’s data, highlighting chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease as the predominant causes of death in Iredell County. Additionally, the results underscore the importance of addressing mental health, substance misuse, and environmental factors such as methadone labs, in the county.

Next steps, the establishment of a collaborative community health improvement plan. This will incorporate both short and long-term objectives from our three top priorities, contributing significantly to enhance the overall well-being of residents in Iredell County over the next 4 years.

When analyzing Iredell County’s size and population, notable demographic and health disparities emerge among its residents. Notably, consistent health trends throughout the county form the foundation for identifying our key priorities. Based on the 2023 Iredell County Community Health Assessment, the selected focus areas for Iredell County’s health initiative until 2027 encompass mental health, substance misuse, and chronic disease.

First Priority: Mental Health

When examining community needs, survey participants highlighted a crucial need for enhanced support in mental health, as emphasized by over 61% of respondents in Iredell County. Access to treatment facilities is insufficient, with 32% expressing concern about depression. Shockingly, self-infliction ranks as the 3^rd leading cause of death among young adults (20-39) in Iredell County, according to the NC State Center for Health Statistics. To address these challenges, imperative strategies include community-based education, heightened awareness, and proactive outreach initiatives.

Second Priority: Chronic Disease

In Iredell County, chronic diseases persist as the primary contributors to mortality. According to the NC State Center for Health Statistics, cancer ranks as the predominate chronic disease, followed closely by heart related conditions. Projections for 2023 indicates 1,296 new cancer cases and associated deaths per the County Health Data Book. Preventable factors such as insufficient physical activity, unhealthy diets, tobacco, and substance misuse, along with delayed detection screenings, underscore the need for targeted interventions.

Third Priority: Substance Misuse

Substance misuse poses a significant and escalating problem In Iredell County. According to NC Detect, more than 40% of emergency departments visits for young adults between the ages 25-44 from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2023, resulted from unintentional medicine or drug overdoses. During the same period, nearly 7% of overdoses were observed in children under the age of 18. Implementing evidence-based curriculum programs and outreach efforts is crucial to addressing the problem.