Introduction and Vision Statement

The Community Health Needs Assessment identifies priority health concerns of Lee County, as well as gives insight into the current assets that are in place throughout the county. The surveys include questions about community perceptions concerning safety, community health interests, education, poverty, income, employment, mental health, access to care, housing, and more.  For 2022, the Lee County Health Department partnered with long-term partner LeeCAN, and new partner with Central Carolina Hospital.

Lee County Health Department Mission: Promoting better health and a safe environment for all Lee County residents.

Since its origins in 1907, Lee County has grown to house almost 64,000 residents. The Lee County Health Department is based in the county seat, Sanford, North Carolina. Over the years, the department has included four divisions to cover community needs: clinical services, environmental health, animal services, and community health education and promotion. Each of these serve county residents in some way through daily duties and community event engagement.

Central Carolina Hospital Mission:  Making Communities Healthier®

With a growing population in Lee County and surrounding areas, Central Carolina hospital has grown to include 137- bed acute care and over 600 employees, including over 100 physicians. Central Carolina provides plenty of specialties including cardiology, orthopedics, ophthalmology, general surgery, obstetrics, gynecology, emergency medicine, gastroenterology, hospitalist services, nephrology, hematology, urology, podiatry, pulmonary medicine, and wound care.

Lee Community Action Network (LeeCAN) Mission: Increase awareness and resources to effectively address health and safety issues in Lee County through a collaborative community effort.

LeeCAN was established in 1997 through the Healthy Carolinians program. Though Health Carolinians no longer exists, LeeCAN continues to engage with the community to address health priorities.

Leadership, Partnerships, and Collaborative Process

The 2022 Community Health Assessment is a community-driven and shared process. Leadership roles of the community health needs assessment is based on collaborative partnership between Lee County Health Department, LeeCAN, Central Carolina Hospital, and local community collaborators from El Vinculo, El Refugio, Lee County Public libraries, Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center, and McSwain Center. Primary roles of partnerships are to aid with data collection, analysis, and interpretation of community surveys.

Contracted Services

Central Carolina Hospital contracted Stratasan to compile and analyze the data gathered from the community health surveys. Stratasan used primary data collected from community surveys and focus groups to produce analysis.

Theoretical Framework and Model

Lee County followed guidelines from the North Carolina Division of Public Health eight-phase community health assessment process.

1. Establish CHNA/CHA Leadership Team: The Community Health Assessment team represents members from health agencies, local partners, and the Spanish community.
2. Collect primary data: Community Survey and Focus Groups
3. Collect secondary data: Gather data from local, state, and national-level sources.
4. Analyze and interpret county-level data: Analyze primary data using contracted services from Stratasan. Review raw data and analysis with Health Department, LeeCAN, and Central Carolina hospital.
5. Determine health priorities: Reflect on data from primary and secondary data sources. Select health issues with highest prevalence in the county and more frequently mentioned.
6. Create CHA/CHNA document.
7. Disseminate CHA/CHNA document: Distribute the Community Health Assessment findings through main public health website, presentations to the Board of Health, and disseminating to local media outlets.
8. Develop Community Health Improvement Plans: Create action plans to address health priorities identified in the CHA/CHNA and how progress will be measured in the short- and long-term.

Key Findings and Health Priorities

Results from the community survey and focus groups shared primary concern over the following health outcomes:

Mental Health                                  Substance Use and Misuse                          Healthy Eating, Active Living                      Social Determinants of Health

Next Steps

The Community Health Assessment is complete and health priorities are identified. The next phase involves creating Community Health Improvement Plans for each primary health concern. Discussions will take place among the Community Health Education and Promotion division of the Lee County Health Department and community organizations to initiate evidenced-based health activities and programming that address the identified health concerns. Improvement plans will be developed and submitted to the state by September 2023.

To view the entire 2022 Community Health Assessment for Lee County - please visit: 

https://cms5.revize.com/revize/leecounty/Document%20Center/Department/Public%20health/Health%20Department/Central%20Carolina_CHNA%20-%20Lee%20County,%20NC%20Presentation%202022%20FINAL%20(3).pdf

Results from the community survey and focus groups shared primary concern over the following health outcomes:

Mental Health                                  Substance Use and Misuse                          Healthy Eating, Active Living                      Social Determinants of Health