Executive Summary

Vision Statement

The vision of the Community Health Needs Assessment is that residents of Halifax County are empowered to lead healthy lifestyles. The assessment outlines the community’s current health status. Based upon findings, steps have been developed to implement interventions, as well as, community resources identified to address these health issues.

Leadership

The 2021 Halifax County Community Health Needs Assessment is a bi-sectoral partnership involving Halifax County Health Department, Health Director Bruce Robistow and ECU Health North Hospital, President Jason Harrell.  Halifax County Health Department and ECU Health North Hospital also collaborated with Health ENC, Melissa Roupe, Chair for primary and secondary data analysis.  The Community Health Needs Assessment team is comprised of many participants representing area agencies in Halifax County, North Carolina.  Many local organizations assisted ECU Health North Hospital, the Halifax County Health Department, and Healthy Halifax Partners, with the creation of the assessment.

Partnerships/Collaborations

Regional/Contracted Services

The 2021 Halifax County Community Health Needs Assessment was developed through a partnership between the Halifax County Health Department, ECU Health North and Health ENC, with ECU Health North and the Halifax County Health Department serving as the fiscal sponsors.

Theoretical Framework/Model

The Socioecological model was utilized throughout the development of the Community Health Needs Assessment process.  The needs assessment engages all levels of community collaboration including primary data from surveys and focus groups as well as secondary data.  Engagement was targeted from all levels of the model including interpersonal (families), individual (knowledge), organizations and community engagement to adapt public policy through successful implementation of programs.

Collaborative Process Summary

The Halifax County Health Department and ECU Health North collaborated with Health ENC to provide the community with a needs assessment survey opportunity.  The survey was distributed through multiple outlets for community input from April 2021 - June 30, 2021 with 399 surveys completed for analysis.  The top eight priorities identified in the assessment were prioritized by community members, selecting the top areas of health to focus on over the next three years.

Key Findings

The CHNA findings are drawn from an analysis of an extensive set of secondary data provided by the state of North Carolina and in-depth primary data from community leaders, health and non-health professionals who serve the community at large, vulnerable populations, and populations with unmet health needs. Through a synthesis of the primary and secondary data the significant health needs were determined for

Table 1. Significant Health Needs

Next Steps

This report describes the process and findings of a comprehensive health needs assessment for the residents of Halifax County, North Carolina. The prioritization of the identified significant health needs will guide community health improvement efforts of Halifax County. Following this process, Halifax County (Halifax County Health Department and ECU Health North) will each outline how they plan to address the prioritized health needs in their implementation plan.

Health Priorities

The Roanoke Valley Community Health Initiative and Healthy Halifax Partners participated in a prioritization activity to determine the three leading health concerns to be addressed between 2022 and 2024. The worksheet asked that each of the eight concerns be ranked according to three criteria: Magnitude of the Problem, Seriousness of the Consequences, and Feasibility of Correcting the Problem.  During the Roanoke Valley Community Health Initiative and Healthy Halifax Partners meeting, the results from the prioritization process were reviewed and discussed. The following final health concerns were named as the focus for the next three-year cycle, 2022-2024.

1. Obesity

2. Maternal, Fetal and Infant Health

3. Substance Abuse (Mental Health Crisis Intervention)