This data will come from the North Carolina Center for State Health Statistics morbidity and mortality data.

**NOTE: The mortality data provided by the state is currently only for the overall population and for Black/African American and White populations. Goal is to identify alternate mortality data options that will include Hispanic/Latinx populations.

Story Behind the Indicator

Story Behind the Indicator data was gathered from: community partners/providers, those impacted the most/those with lived experience, and Buncombe County residents.

What’s Helping? - Chronic Disease

• “Community Health Workers”
• “Outreach in rural areas via community health workers”
• “Food banks, MANNA, food pantries located within communities in need”
• “Prevalence of telehealth and support group options [during COVID-19 pandemic]
• “Community health workers are bridging a lot of gaps, especially when everything was shut down”
• "Walking trails, bicycle routes"

What’s Hurting? - Chronic Disease

• “Medicaid access barriers and insurance costs”
• “Systemic racism within healthcare systems – we need more culturally aware service providers”
• “High cost of living and poverty creates housing instability which negatively influences health”
• "Systemic racism and reasonable distrust in systems of oppression"
• "High cost of living"
• "Language access - lack of translation/interpreter services readily available"
• Poor communication to communities who do not speak English as their first language
• Cultural barriers - evolving intergenerational traditions to incorporate healthy lifestyle and food choices

Partners in our Community Health Improvement Process: 

• CHIP Advisory Council members and organizations
• WNC Healthy Impact

Community Diabetes Partners

• YMCA of Western North Carolina - Asheville
• Asheville Buncombe Institute for Parity Achievement (ABIPA)
• Institute for Preventive Healthcare & Advocacy
• UNETE
• Buncombe County Age Friendly services 
• Buncombe County Adult & Aging services
• CIMA

Strategies Considered input was gathered from: community partners/providers, those impacted the most/those with lived experience, and Buncombe County residents.

What Works to Do Better?

• "Easy and affordable access to care, transparent and easy navigation across care providers"
• "Transportation supports need to be expanded for all rural areas of Buncombe County."
• "Extended clinic hours to serve those outside of traditional work hours and offering telehealth options"
• "Interventions, education, and programming that emphasis that 'prevention' is the key to long term health"
• Provide more specific education that normalizes personal experiences and embraces cultural differences
• "Language Justice/Access policies in place for all health "
• "More BIPOC and Spanish speaking healthcare providers"
• Organizations becoming more trauma-aware
• Dismantling white supremacy culture within healthcare and social services institutions
• Creating systems and services that are equity-driven

Process data was gathered from a variety of community-driven sources, including those with lived experience, those most impacted by the focus health condition, those providing services/support in the community, professionals/organizations with a role to play, and the 40+ agencies that represent the Buncombe County CHIP Advisory.

• Provide more specific education that normalizes personal experiences
• Language Justice - more Spanish speaking peer supports, counselors, healthcare providers; widely available materials that are in Spanish; services delivered in Spanish without being put on a waitlist for interpretation services
• Organizations becoming more trauma-aware
• Dismantling white supremacy culture within healthcare and social services institutions
• Creating systems and services that are equity-driven