Vision Statement:

We collaboratively aim to achieve a healthier community and enhanced quality of life for all people in Catawba County.

Leadership:

Led by Catawba County Public Health and LiveWell Catawba, in partnership with Catawba Valley Health System and Frye Regional Medical Center, a Catawba County CHA Leadership Team was convened to facilitate and inform the 2019 CHA process. In order to address the various health needs of the community, a multi-sectoral approach was utilized with several areas represented.  

Partnerships and Collaborations:

PARTNER AGENCIES AND SECTORS: 

Regional/Contracted Services:

We contracted creation of the Community Health Opinion Survey and primary data analysis services with a local group, Jackson Creative.

Theoretical Framework/Model:

We used the North Carolina Division of Public Health's eight-phase community health assessment process. 1) Establish CHA Leadership Team: The team comprised of stakeholders from various community sectors, including traditional and non-traditional partners such as the business sector, faith communities, and transportation and housing experts. 2) Collect primary data: Community listening sessions and Community Health Opinion Survey. 3) Collect secondary data: Gathered data from local, state, and national-level sources, along with data surrounding social determinants of health. 4) Analyze and interpret county-level data: Data review sessions with CHA Leadership Team and subject-matter experts. 5) Determine health priorities: Community listening sessions with data review and ranking by community members and stakeholders from key groups. 6) Create the CHA document. 7) Disseminate the CHA document: Distribute throughout the community by reaching out to media outlets, conducting and participating in community meetings, and communicating with key stakeholders. 8) Develop Community Health Improvement Plan: Plan to address health priorities identified in the CHA and how progress will be measured in the short- and long-term.

Key Findings

Drivers of Health, or social determinants of health, help a community understand the root causes of poor health outcomes. The 2019 Community Health Assessment identified the following key social issues that directly impact our health priorities:

• 55% of Catawba County public school students are enrolled in the National School Lunch Program
• 14.2% of the total population and 20.5% of children are living in poverty
• 43.8% of renters are spending over a third of their household income on housing
• 21.9% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher
• 12.3% of residents are experiencing food insecurity

Life expectancy is a critical indicator in examining a community's overall health and well-being, but where you live within that community affects your potential outcomes even more. In Catawba County, the highest estimated life expectancy by census tract is 82.6 years, while the lowest is 64.6 years, just minutes away. This is why we try to obtain and use data on the most local level possible while examining health issues and identifying opportunities to improve outcomes. 

Infant mortality data highlights a significant inequity in child health outcomes, with Black infants being more than twice as likely to die than White infants. 

Health Priorities

• Chronic Disease

• Brain Health

• Healthy Foods & Healthy Weight

Next Steps:

The identification of health priorities is the beginning of a continuing process. Workgroups will be formed to generate action steps with goals for addressing community needs, and a community health improvement plan will be developed to be submitted by September 2020. The results from the CHA will be shared throughout Catawba County via traditional and non-traditional methods, leveraging partnerships through the CHA Leadership Team and other partner organizations.