Johnston County is pleased to present the 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA).  The CHNA reviews health indicators, gathers community survey results, sets health priorities, and develops action plans to address priority areas.  This report provides an overview of the methods and process used to identify and prioritize significant health needs in Johnston County.

Vision Statement 

It is with great diligence that Johnston County and its health affiliates present the newest rendition of the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA 2022). We strongly believe that this report and its proposed initiatives will foster a path from which to provide Johnston County residents with services tailored to our communities’ most pressing health needs. Through the collaborative efforts of Johnston Health, Johnston County Public Health Department and partners, it is our hope that the information reflected in this report will be utilized to reduce the socioeconomic health burden within Johnston County. Moreover, we hope to bolster the scope and reach of our community outreach endeavors to better aid our underserved residents through efforts encompassing health education, accessibility, affordability, and public services.   

Leadership 

The Johnston County CHNA 2022 was collated, evaluated, and established following a bi-sectoral leadership model through UNC Johnston Health and the Johnston County Public Health Department. Contributing leaders, their names, organization, and titles are as follows:

• April Culver, JH, VP Marketing, Communications, and Strategy 

• Kimetha Fulwood, JCPHD, Health Education Supervisor 

• Leah Johnson, JH, Corporate and Community Outreach Coordinator 

• Marilyn Pearson, MD, JCPHD, Health Director 

In this report, the aforementioned Johnston County leaders and collaborative partners detail a meaningful evaluation of the predominant health needs across Johnston County to guide planning efforts that will be utilized to address current community necessities. Special attention has been given to the needs of vulnerable populations, unmet health needs or gaps in services, with additional input gathered from current Johnston County residents.

This report will be used to identify and develop actionable ventures from which to provide and connect community members with resources to improve the health challenges intrinsic to their respective regions. The 2022 CHNA was developed through a partnership between Johnston Health, the Johnston County Public Health Department, and Health ENC.

Partnerships/Collaborations 

Theoretical Framework/Model

The methods that were utilized to ascertain, and subsequently prioritize, the evolving health needs of Johnston County residents are detailed in Chapter 1 of this report. A synopsis of the data collection methods is as follows:

Following the retrospective analysis of aggregate data from state and national bureaus, significant community health needs were selected and stratified to objectively serve as viable endpoints from which to guide plausible health improvement interventions in Johnston County. Data stratification in this report is firstly delineated through grouping based on data source; i.e., designated primary and secondary datasets originating from resident surveys and university/government institutions, respectively. Subsequently, community variables directly or indirectly associated with barriers to health were extrapolated from the collated datasets and prioritized as a function of our current regional needs and available resources. 

The 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment datasets were sourced from the following institutions:

The aforementioned prioritization process will enable Johnston County and its institutional partnerships to objectively address and maximize collaborative efforts to ameliorate community health needs within the construct of the various action plans proposed in this report.   

Collaborative Process Summary 

Health ENC partners began collaborating on the structure of the 2021-2022 CHN primary data survey in October 2020 & finalized the survey in March 2021. Community input was solicited throughout April & May. Primary data was analyzed and secondary data compiled by the Brody School of Medicine and delivered in September of 2021. The JCPHD & Johnston Health then hosted various CHN prioritization-setting discussions with key stakeholders during November 2021, after which a survey was disseminated to all key stakeholders. In January 2022, the JCPHD & Johnston Health held a CHN Priority Discussion in which they analyzed the findings of our priority-setting survey and unanimously finalized the 2021-2022 CHN health priorities for Johnston County. Completion of the CHNA began forthwith and was finalized on April 2022. 

Key Findings 

Health Priorities 

Johnston County has selected the following as the health priorities.

1. Access to Care 

2. Substance Use Disorders

3. Transportation

Next Steps

The next step in the CHNA process is to develop Community Health Improvement Plans (CHIPs).  These plans will include detailed strategies and action plans to address Johnston County’s three identified health priorities of Access to Care, Substance Use Disorders and Transportation.  The Leadership Team will engage various community partners and community members to determine the best way to address the priorities.  The process includes reviewing community assets, reviewing the drivers of community health and selecting a type of strategy.  The team will use Results Based Accountability framework to report CHIPs.  Community progress on the CHIPs will be reported for the next two years, then another CHNA will be created.

Johnston County's Key Findings:

Johnston County has selected the following as the health priorities:

1. Access to Care 

2. Substance Use Disorders

3. Transportation