HNC 2030 Scorecard: McDowell County 2021-2023

Executive Summary

McDowell’s collaborative process is supported on a regional level by WNC Healthy Impact. Locally, our process begins with the collection of data that is completed through a partnership with WNC Healthy Impact to conduct this assessment from January 2021 through December 2021. In working with WNC Healthy Impact, the CHA Advisory Committee had the opportunity to assist with collecting primary data, which included telephone surveys of 233 residents and 16 key informant surveys completed by community key leaders. Team members also accessed the WNC Healthy Impact Secondary Data Workbook including a comprehensive set of secondary data from the NC State Center for Health Statistics, US Census Bureau, CDC’s Behavioral Risk
Factor Surveillance System, and other sources, and maps from Community Commons. All collected data, which is not only specific to the health status of McDowell County, but also demonstrates how it relates to the Western North Carolina region, was then analyzed and prioritized with the input of a preliminary data team. This initial data team, Foothills Health District, chose the top 4 health priorities utilizing a prioritization process based on the Rating/Ranking Key Health Issues (Health Resources in Action) worksheet. These were narrowed down to the top two health priorities again utilizing a process based on the Rating/Ranking Key Health Issues (Health Resources in Action) worksheet. The top three health priorities and data will then be presented to stakeholders in McDowell County after CHA submission. Phase 1 of the collaborative process began in January 2021 with the collection of community health data. For more details on this process see Chapter 1 – Community Health Assessment Process.

Key Findings
In 2020 the total population of McDowell County was 44,578 (US Census Bureau, 2021). The majority of residents are White (9.32%) with minorities represented as follows: Black or African American (4.2%), Hispanic or Latino (6.4%), Asian and Pacific Islander (1.2%), and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%) (Us Census Bureau, 2021). In 2018 the Health Priorities included: Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, and Substance Abuse including Tobacco. In mental health from 2018 to 2021 there was a 1.9% decrease in the number of individuals who had more than seven days of poor mental health in the past month. As for tobacco use the percent of current smokers decreased from 21.9% to 17.7%. (WNC Health Network, 2021) In other findings cancer is still the leading cause of deaths within the county, COVID-19 impacted the CHA priorities and the percent of obesity in the county has risen by 8.1% in the last 4 years. It is also important to note the percent of individuals who experienced overall “fair” or “poor” health dropped from 26.6% to 19.3%. (WNC Health Network, 2021)

Health Priorities
• Lack of Health Insurance
• Unintentional Injuries
• Obesity

Next Steps
Foothills Health District will share the CHA findings with the Health Coalition and members of Mission Hospital McDowell. An electronic copy will be made available on the Foothills Health District website at http://www.foothillshd.org/ and printed copies will be made available at the Health Department, the local library, and printed upon request.

In partnership with community leaders and existing work groups, the Foothills Health District will support planning and taking action around the health priorities. We will better understand the story and root causes behind the priority issues and will engage with existing and new partners to help improve these issues and move the needle in the right direction towards the common goal of making McDowell County a healthier place to live, work, and play.

Priorities

• Lack of Health Insurance
• Unintentional Injuries
• Obesity

Why It Matters?

Healthcare is a basic human need for an indivudal to live the highest quality of life. Individuals without health insurace are less likely to have a primary care provider and may not be able to afford needed healthcare services or their medications. Not having insurance can also place an individual in the postion of not getting prevenetvie care and treatment for chronic illnessess. Rasing the percentage of individuals within the county that have health insurance can serve as a beginning to lower all health conditions within the county. 

What Is It?

Partnering with McDowell Access to Care & Health was identified as an action, that when combined with other actions in our community, that has a reasonable chance of making a difference in lack of health insurace coverage in our community. This is a ongoing program in our community, but a new partnership. 

Working with MATCH will allow for us to refer anyone who we come incontact with to refer them to MATCH for their services which will include the proper education on health insurance, and finding a plan that will be suit the indivdual and possible family members. This will then lead to getting more health services at an affordavble rate to increase the indivduals overall health status and increasing quality of life and longevitiy of life. 

The priority population/customers for this partnership are an indivduals within McDowell County who are lacking health insurance coverage, and the partnertship aims to make a difference at the indivdual and policy level. Implementation will take place inperson at FHD locations and MATCH offices. 

Partners

The partners for this [insert program type] include:

Progress in 2022

Progress in 2022 allowed for the partnership with MATCH to occur. MATCH was given an office in the McDowell County Health Department. MATCH staff is onsite in the office every Monday and Tuesday starting October 24th 2022. In 2022 data collection was not taken due to holidays and a flooding in the McDowell County Health Department that made impossible to have MATCH on-site. Once MATCH is able to get back into their offices in the health departments data collection will begin. 

Progress in 2023

In 2023, Match was able to connect with more than 1300 people who learned something new about insurance at more than 40 events that they were able to attend. The space for MATCH at the McDowell Health Department has been repaired and we hope to have MATCH on-site again by summer of 2024. 

Why It Matters?

Through COVID , and over time, we have seen the numbers of deaths realted to overdoses rise. An overdose death is a death that can be prevented with correct education. By lowering the number of yearly deaths realted to overdoses is all of McDowell County we are giving a family back thier child, parent, and friend, and helping them to live at a higher quality of life. 

What Is It?

Narcan training was identified as an action, that when combined with other actions in our community, that has a reasonable chance of making a difference in overdose deaths within our community. This is a new program in our community.

Providing narcan trainings and providing the community with narcan will make it a safer enviorment for those who may be battling addiction or have loved ones that are battling addiction. Knowing how to use narcan correctly can save an indivduals life in many differnet aspects and enviorments no matter where the indivdual may be. 

Partnership is the genreral public, and the partnership aims to make a difference at the individual/interpersonal behavior level. Implementation will take place in the McDowell county communities. 

Progress in 2022

Progres made in 2022 was limited due to the avavilibty of Narcan to be used in trainings. In 2023 the data will be collected while conducting trainings that may not include the physcal Narcan. 

Progress in 2023

Progress in 2023 included training all health department clinical staff and McDowell County Public Schools nurses in the proper use of Narcan. All who participated in the training felt more confident in the use of Narcan. 

Why It Matters?

Through COIVD it was saw that a marjority of indivduals who passed due to COVID also had obesity as an underlying condition. Promoting a healthy and active lifestyle int he community can help to elminate obesity as a underlying risk factgor in the populations health risks. It can also lower the cost and resources spent on obesity effects. Promoting a healthy and active lifttyle can also be done with proper food nurtion education and promoting physical activties outside such as the YMCA outdoor trail and the YMCA facility. 

What Is It?

Obesity education program within the school systems was identified as an action, that when combined with other actions in our community, that has a reasonable chance of making a difference in obesity in our community. This is a new program in our community.

The priority population/customers for this obesity program are all students aged 5-18 in the public school system, and the obesity program aims to make a difference at the individual and interpersonal behavior evel. Implementation will take place in  during educational sessions at the schools. 

A Sugar Shock kit will be used to demostrate how sugar intake adds up from the drinks we consume on the daily basis. This will enrourage students to eat their sugar through fruits and vegtables and add physical activity to balance the sugar intake. 

Partners

The partners for this [insert program type] include:

Progress in 2022

There is no progress for this program in 2022.

Progress in 2023

There is no progress for this program in 2023.

Progress on CHIPs

Please see the "Progress in 2022" note tabs under each program for 2022 updates. Additionally, each performace measure has 2022 updates. 

2022 Sugar Shock Program

2022 Narcan Training 

2022 MATCH Partnership

Significant or Notable Changes in Morbidity or Mortality

The following represent significant morbidity and mortality changes in our community.

• Leading Causes of Death Table

  • The change from 2020 to 2022 show an increase in Cancer deaths as it is still the leading cause of death. 

(Citation: North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics (NC SCHS). (2020). Causes of Death. [Data tables]. Available from https://schs.dph.ncdhhs.gov/data/.)

• NC Opioid Dashboard 

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Emerging Issues Impacting Health

These are the new or emerging issues in our community in 2022 that were not identified as priorities in our CHA.

• Housing 

New, Paused, or, Discontinued Initiatives, or, Activities

The following are new initiatives or changes in our community in 2022:

• More affordable doctor offices opening

Progress on CHIPs

Please see the "Progress in 2023" note tabs under each program for 2023 updates. Additionally, each performace measure has 2023 updates.

Significant or Notable Changes in Morbidity or Mortality

The following represent significant morbidity and mortality changes in our community.

• Leading Causes of Death Table

  • The change from 2020 to 2022 show an increase in Cancer deaths as it is still the leading cause of death. 

(Citation: North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics (NC SCHS). (2020). Causes of Death. [Data tables]. Available from https://schs.dph.ncdhhs.gov/data/.)

• NC Opioid Dashboard 

Emerging Issues Impacting Health

These are the new or emerging issues in our community in 2023 that were not identified as priorities in our CHA.

• Lack of free or affordable mental health care 

New, Paused, or, Discontinued Initiatives, or, Activities

The following are new initiatives or changes in our community in 2023:

• The Sugar Shock Program was put on hold during a vacancy in the Health Educator position. This program will resume in the Fall of 2024.
• The Narcan education program is growing in participants and is increasing awareness in the community.