HNC 2030 Scorecard: Yancey County (2021-2023)

Executive Summary

Yancey County 2021 Community Health Assessment Executive Summary

Community Results Statement

Our mission is to partner with local agencies to not only identify health needs of our community, but to also explore and develop possible solutions to address health concerns in order to work toward improving health for all residents.

Leadership for the Community Health Assessment Process

Many local organizations assisted the local health department with the creation of this document. Among those were community leaders, public health agencies, businesses, medical community, school systems, and local faith-based organizations and churches. This team worked to identify, collect, analyze, and disseminate information on community assets, strengths, resources, and needs. This document is the result of collaboration between Toe River Health District, WNC Healthy Impact, and the Healthy Yancey Health Partnership.

Partnerships

The Community Health Assessment team is comprised of many participants representing area agencies in Yancey County, North Carolina. A health department-led comprehensive Community Health Assessment (CHA) provides community insight into the health status of the county. Using surveys, focus groups, and interviews, community members, local government and business leaders, and health professionals came together to identify and prioritize health issues. Participating in the assessment process puts the county in a position to take the next steps in developing policy, environment, and system changes that support their concerns. Currently in Yancey County there is a coalition to bring together all the organizations and individuals that are committed to improving health in the county. This group consists of motivated individuals who are advocates on behalf of a broad range of community members and can represent appropriately the concerns of various populations within the county. The limited resources available in the county demonstrates a need for a coalition who will take responsibility and provide leadership for promoting and supporting policy, systems and environmental change that support healthy eating, and increase physical activity and prevent tobacco use throughout the county to combat most chronic disease conditions.

Membership of Healthy Yancey Health Partnership

• Jessica Farley, Yancey County Health Department 
• Diane Creek, Yancey County Health Department
• Schell McCall, Partners Aligned Toward Health
• Jessica Zucchino, Partners Aligned Toward Health
• Lila Sheon, Partners Aligned Toward Health
• Sylvia Buchanan, Blue Ridge Partnership for Children 
• Jennifer Simpson, Blue Ridge Partnership for Children
• Colby Boston, Blue Ridge Regional Hospital
• Amber Dillinger, Mountain Community Health Partnership
• Amy Earnheart, Mountain Community Health Partnership
• Casie Ledford, Mountain Community Health Partnership 
• Cassie Burleson, Mountain Community Health Partnership
• Jessica Hensley, Yancey County Health Department 
• Katherine Savage, Blue Ridge Partnership for Children
• Nickey Stamey, Blue Ridge Healthy Families
• Pam Snyder, Headstart/Intermountain Children Services Inc.
• Hannah Robinson, Partners Aligned Toward Health
• Lisa Pitman, Local Children’s Developmental Services Agencies
• Amanda North, Health-e Schools/Center for Rural Health Innovation
• Angela Garner, VAYA Health
• Brian Buchanan, Burnsville Police Department
• Mike Sink, WKYK Radio Station
• Rick Tipton, Yancey DSS
• Peirce Bingham, Yancey County Cooperative Extention
• Jim Haaga, Retired Physician
• Shane Hilliard, Yancey County Sheriff’s Office
• Niki Maness, Yancey County Cooperative Extension
• Patrick Bradford, Toe River Project Access
• Daniel Barron, Community Volunteer/ Substance Abuse Task Force

Regional/Contracted Services

Our county received support from WNC Healthy Impact, a partnership and coordinated process between hospitals, public health agencies, and key regional partners in western North Carolina working towards a vision of improved community health. We work together locally and regionally to assess health needs, develop collaborative plans, take action, and evaluate progress and impact. This innovative regional effort is coordinated and supported by WNC Health Network. WNC Health Network is the alliance of stakeholders working together to improve health and healthcare in western North Carolina. Learn more at www.WNCHN.org.

Theoretical Framework/Model

WNC Health Network provides local hospitals and public health agencies with tools and support to collect, visualize, and respond to complex community health data through Results-Based Accountability™ (RBA). RBA is a disciplined, common-sense approach to thinking and acting with a focus on how people, agencies, and communities are better off for our efforts.

Collaborative Process Summary

Yancey County’s collaborative process is supported on a regional level by WNC Healthy Impact (WNCHI). Locally, our process is a community-wide and multi-faceted approach to completing the community health assessment and giving this information to the community.

The collaborative process includes input from the community as an important element of the community health assessment process. Our county included community input and engagement 9 in a number of ways: (1) Partnership on conducting the health assessment process; (2) Through primary data collection efforts; (3) In the identification and prioritization of health issues. Community engagement is an ongoing focus for our CHA Leadership Team as we move forward to the collaborative action planning phase of the community health improvement process. Partners and stakeholders with current efforts or interest related to priority health issues will continue to be engaged. We also plan to work together with our partners to help assure programs and strategies in our community are developed and implemented with community members and partners.

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

A community wide 75-questionnaire was conducted to give residents an opportunity to express concerns and opinions about the quality of life in Yancey County. This included questions about the quality of life, economy, education, health, housing, physical activity, social issues, transportation, and COVID. Surveys were conducted by telephone by a trained interviewer and efforts were made to reach a representative sample of the population. Self-administered surveys were also available online. A total of 264 Yancey County surveys were analyzed: 200 via telephone interview and 64 via the publicly available weblink.

Some of the major findings that the Healthy Yancey Health Partnership discussed in the prioritization process included the increasing proportion of respondents with more than seven days of poor mental health in the past month. Nearly 11% of respondents have considered suicide in the past year and 28% were taking medication or receiving treatment for mental health. A growing percentage of respondents have been diagnosed with heart disease and more than 15% have been diagnosed with diabetes or borderline diabetes. Seventy percent of Yancey County respondents had calculated BMIs in the overweight or obese range. A decreasing proportion of respondents eat the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables, approximately 19% reported food insecurity, and 20% got no leisure-time physical activity in the last month. Approximately 45% of respondents were current drinkers,15% engaged in binge drinking, and 19% were classified as excessive drinkers. Twenty percent of respondents reported using opioids in the past year, with or without a prescription and 43% said their life had been negatively impacted by the own, or someone else’s, substance use.

In addition to secondary data and survey collection, seven (7) community stakeholders participated in an online key informant survey. Individuals were asked to consider specific health issues, provide comments about social determinants of health, and evaluate the strengths and opportunities of the Yancey County community. The graphic below displays a summary of their ranking of health topics in the community.

During monthly meetings, standards for the Community Health Assessment Process and Accreditation were discussed and reviewed for publication in the 2021 Community Health Assessment. Each member reviewed and approved of the Community Health Assessment Survey and Community Resource Directory included in the assessment. After the analysis was completed, qualitative and quantitative data findings were presented to the CHA team. The team reviewed the data and developed the top ten major health issues based upon statistical data and community survey results. Based on findings from the community survey combined with secondary health data, in November 2021, Healthy Yancey members identified the chief health concerns for the county.

• Substance abuse/misuse/prevention
• Housing
• Mental Health
• Economic opportunities
• Food insecurity
• Aging/dementia/fall prevention
• Transportation
• Adverse Childhood Experiences
• Equity/Spanish translation
• Social Determinants of Health
• Chronic disease prevention/healthy lifestyles
• Oral Health
• Community resilience
• Cancer
• Domestic Violence
• Birth outcomes/infant mortality

Health Priorities

In November 2021, Healthy Yancey members along with the CHA Team members participated in a prioritization activity to determine the three leading health concerns to be addressed during this cycle. The worksheet asked that each of the concerns be ranked. The results from the prioritization process were reviewed and discussed at the meeting. The final health concerns are named as the focus for the next four-year cycle. Results of these worksheets were calculated to come up with the top three priorities, which are as follows:

1. Behavioral Health: Mental health, substance abuse, Adverse Childhood Experiences, domestic violence, and community resiliency
2. Healthy Living Across the Lifespan: Chronic disease prevention and management, healthy lifestyles, oral health, cancer, aging, dementia, fall prevention, and birth outcomes/infant mortality
3. Food Insecurity and Access to Food

Next Steps

The 2021 CHA will be disseminated in a variety of ways. To begin, the document will be made available online at http://www.toeriverhealth.org. Hard copies will also be available at the Health Department, local library, and printed upon request.

The CHA Facilitator will present the CHA data during a Board of Health Meeting, Healthy Yancey meeting, Yancey County Health Department staff meeting, and upon request. Further steps will be taken including the development of a community health improvement plan based on the findings from the CHA. The CHA Facilitator will convene community members and partners interested in moving forward on the selected health priorities. Action teams will emerge from the selected health priorities and the teams will begin brainstorming evidence-based strategies.

Collaborative action planning with hospitals and other community partners will result in the creation of a community-wide plan that outlines what will be aligned, supported and/or implemented to address the priority health issues identified through this assessment process. A key step in action planning will be to determine what is currently going on regarding the top health concerns, and what we would like to see going on regarding these health concerns.

The Healthy Yancey Health Partnership will create subcommittees for each health concern and these committees will work on creating collaborative action planning and implementation efforts. Upcoming meetings will be scheduled, and partners will be notified. We will conduct a root cause analyzes and identify possible evidence-based strategies to tackle the health concerns during the action planning process.

While much work has already been done to improve the health of our community’s residents, more work is left to do to ensure that Yancey County is the healthiest place to live, learn, work, and play.

Priorities

The 2021 Yancey County Community Health Assessment priorities are:

1. Behavioral Health: Mental health, substance abuse, Adverse Childhood Experiences, domestic violence, and community resiliency
2. Healthy Living Across the Lifespan: Chronic disease prevention and management, healthy lifestyles, oral health, cancer, aging, dementia, fall prevention, and birth outcomes/infant mortality
3. Food Insecurity and Access to Food

Importance

Poor mental health and the lack of resources to treat it burdens individuals and families. The expanding social and personal impact of substance use is clearly felt but treatment is often complex. Mental health issues and substance use can lead to increased intimate partner violence. All of the above accumulate in the lives of our citizens as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), which can increase the risk of health issues over a lifetime. Mental illness, substance misuse, domestic violence, and ACEs atrophy a community's ability to respond, withstand, and recover from adversity.

Yancey County, along with other rural communities, has limited access to mental health and substance use programs and services. Transportation barriers prevent community members from accessing care.

Partners

The partners for Appalachian Youth to Youth include:

Agency	Person	Role
Partners Aligned Toward Health (PATH)	Tara Wright, Youth Program Specialist	Lead
East Yancey Middle School	Monica Robison, School Counselor	Support
Cane River Middle School	Belinda Burleson, School Counselor	Support

What Is It?

Appalachian Youth to Youth was identified as an action, that when combined with other actions in our community, has a reasonable chance of making a difference in behavioral health outcomes in Yancey County. This is an ongoing program in our community. However, due to COVID-19, Appalachian Youth to Youth has not been offered since March of 2020. 

The customers for this evidence-based youth program are middle school youth. Appalachian Youth to Youth aims to make a difference at the individual, interpersonal, organizational, and community change levels. Implementation will take place at East Yancey Middle School and Cane River Middle School.

Progress in 2022

Partners Aligned Toward Health (PATH) hired a new Youth Program Specialist in May to restart the Appalachian Youth to Youth (Y2Y) program. Y2Y successfully restarted programs at East Yancey Middle School and Cane River Middle School in September. Getting youth signed up for the program was challenging initially since it was a new program for students. Our focus in 2023 will be to increase participation in the programs.

Progress in 2023

Appalachian Youth to Youth participation numbers increased from 18 to 32, just 4 participants shy of doubling their numbers. Students performed a substance use prevention skit for elementary schools in Mitchell and Yancey counties. Six Youth to Youth students also attended the Empower: Teen Leadership Summit, a youth-led leadership conference hosted by Teen Health Connection in Charlotte, NC.

Partners

The partners for the Community Paramedic Program include:

Agency	Person	Role
Yancey County Health Department	Evan Carroll, Community Paramedic	Lead
Mountain Community Health Partnership	Healthcare providers	Support
Blue Ridge Regional Hospital	Healthcare providers	Support
Yancey County EMS	Healthcare providers	Support

What Is It?

Establishing a Community Paramedic Program was identified as an action, that when combined with other actions in our community, has a reasonable chance of making a difference in behavioral health outcomes in Yancey County. This is a new program in our community. 

The Community Paramedic Program will provide the following services:

• Fall Risk Assessment
• Home Safety Assessment
• CO/Smoke Detector Inspection
• Hypertension Follow Up
• 72hr Opioid Misuse Follow up
• Physical Assessment
• Vital Signs Assessment
• Blood Glucose Assessment
• Medication Compliance
• 12 Lead/ 15 Lead ECG
• Influenza Vaccination
• Education/ Review of Care Plan
• COVID-19 Vaccination
• COVID-19 Testing
• Blood Draw
• Urinalysis

The customers served by the Community Paramedic Program are Yancey County residents referred by health and human services agencies. The Community Paramedic aims to make a difference at the individual, interpersonal, and community change levels. The Community Paramedic will be based in the Yancey County Health Department and will conduct home visits with clients.

Progress in 2022

Yancey County Government/Yancey County Health Department hired a Community Paramedic. The Community Paramedic will begin supporting clients in January of 2023.

Progress in 2023

The community paramedic program skyrocketed from a total of 271 patients seen in 2022 to a total of 774 patients seen in 2023. This program significantly reduced the amount of high hospital utilizers in 2023 and relieved local EMS volumes by triaging non-emergent patients in the field. The communtiy paramedic program is notably bridging gaps to healthcare services.

Partners

The partners for the Mitchell-Yancey Substance Abuse Task Force include:

Agency	Person	Role
Partners Aligned Toward Health (PATH)	Jessica Zucchino, Substance Misuse Program Manager	Lead
Mountain Community Health Partnership	Meghan Graham, Cassie York, and Andrew Howell	Advisory Committee
	Dr. Dan Barron	Advisory Committee
	Mechelle Akers, Retired Pharmacist	Advisory Committee
NC Cooperative Extension	Niki Maness, Extension Agent, Family and Consumer Sciences	Advisory Committee
	Amy Earnheart, Behavioral Health Private Practice	Advisory Committee
RHA Health Services	Aimee Fambrough	Support
Center for Rural Health Innovation/Health-e-Schools	Amanda North, Executive Director	Support
Mitchell County Schools	Angela Atkins, Social Worker	Support
Yancey County Schools	Kristin Buchanan, Social Worker	Support
Yancey Sheriff's Department	Sheriff Shane Hilliard	Support
Blue Ridge Regional Hospital	Tonia Hale, CEO	Support
Spruce Pine Police Department	Chief Bill Summerlin	Support
Burnsville Police Department	Chief Brian Buchanan	Support
Mitchell Sheriff's Department	Sheriff Donald Street	Support
Burnsville ABC	Brian Franklin	Support
WKYK/WTOE	Bruce Ikard	Support
	Dr. Chad Smoker	Support
Yancey County Health Department	Morgan Peterson, Health Educator	Support
VAYA Health	Dustin Burleson	Support
Eleanor Health	Dr. Steve North	Support
Addiction Professionals of North Carolina	Hillary Belk	Support
Mitchell County DSS		Support
Yancey County DSS		Support
Mayland Community College	Monica Carpenter	Support
Never 2 Scarred	Jessica Williams	Support
Reconciliation House	John Miller, Executive Director	Support
Blue Ridge Partnership for Children		Support
Mitchell County Senior Center	Kathy Garland	Support
YMCA	Kate Willett, Director	Support
SEARCH	Lisa Schultz	Support
The Prescription Pad	Liz Elkins, Owner	Support
SMART Recovery	Michel Guicheney	Support
The Learning Shack	Pana Columbus, Executive Director	Support
Mitchell County Transportation	Sheila Blalock, Director	Support

Progress in 2022

The Mitchell-Yancey Substance Abuse Task Force (MYSATF) transitioned from virtual to hybrid meetings in 2022 to increase attendance at coalition meetings. MYSATF began conversations with Yancey County Government regarding supporting the upcoming opioid settlement process. The group supported Drug Take Back days and support a wide range of educational events. The group also distributed medication lockboxes and safe drug disposal materials in the Yancey County community.

Progress in 2023

MYSATF conducted lots of outreach this year including:

• Equipping local teachers with vaping and substance use prevention materials.
• Hosting a town hall with Celebrate Recovery in partnership with an Overdose Awareness event.
• Taking a leadership role in the "community learning process" about opioid and substance use in our county.
• Presenting the "Community Learning Process" results to the county comissioners as a guidance tool as they choose how to spend the opiod settlement funding.
• Collecting substance use and behavioral health data from local schools through the Modified Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

MYSATF continues ongoing research and planning to better our community.

Description

The Mitchell-Yancey Substance Abuse Task Force was identified as an action, that when combined with other actions in our community, has a reasonable chance of making a difference in behavioral health outcomes in Yancey County. This is an ongoing coalition in our community. 

The customers for this coalition are all residents in Yancey and Mitchell counties. The Mitchell-Yancey Substance Abuse Task Force aims to make a difference at the individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy change levels. Meetings take place at various locations in Mitchell and Yancey counties, as well as other initiatives and programs.

What We Do

The Drug Safety Initiative is part of the strategic plan of the Mitchell-Yancey Substance Abuse Task Force. These initiatives are an effort to prevent and reduce substance abuse within our county.

These initatives include:

• Distributing free medication lock boxes to members of the community.
• Hosting drug take back days and encouraging the community to properly dispose of old medications.
• 5 permanent 24-hour medication drop-box disposal systems accross the county.

Who We Serve

This initiative serves all residents of yancey county, substance abusers and non-substance abusers, and those affected by substance use. 

Progress in 2023

320 medication lock boxes were distributed in the communtiy in 2023.

Importance

All residents of Yancey County deserve to live long, fulfilling lives. A healthy life begins with positive pregnancy and birth outcomes, is improved by healthy choices and activities, and is extended with the prevention and management of chronic diseases. Preventing falls, screening for cancer, encouraging oral health care, and caring for our memory-impaired older adults can improve the quality of life for all members of our community.

Partners

The partners for Healthy Living Education include:

Agency	Person	Role
NC Cooperative Extension, Yancey County Center	Niki Maness, Extension Agent, Family and Consumer Sciences	Lead
Yancey County Schools	School Staff	Support
Head Start	Sally Hedrick, Director	Support
Genesis Academy	Marsha McKinney, Director	Support
Yancey Senior Center	Jackie Thomas, Director	Support
Rec House	John Miller, Executive Director	Support
Partners Aligned Toward Health (PATH)	Hannah Robinson Michael, Healthy Lifestyles Program Manager	Support

What Is It?

Healthy Living Education was identified as an action, that combined with other actions in our community, has a reasonable chance of making a difference in Healthy Living Across the Lifespan in Yancey County. This is an ongoing program in our community.

The customers for this strategy are adults, children, and families and the programs aim to make a difference at the individual and interpersonal levels. Implementation will take place in various locations in Yancey County.

Progress in 2022

NC Cooperative Extension, Yancey County Center, hired a Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent in June 2022. They hosted a variety of healthy lifestyles education classes in Yancey County Schools, Genesis Academy, and other community settings. The new Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent only serves Yancey County. In years past, the Extension Agent has split their time between multiple counties. The new one-county focus has enhanced program offerings and allowed more dedicated time to serving Yancey County residents. 

Progress in 2023

Participation in healthy living education rose from 696 in 2022 to 1,209 in 2023. The family and consumer sciences agent was able to focus on growing these educational offerings in 2023. Class and workshop offerings including topics like heart health, garden growing, healthy cooking, food preservation, and serveral other topics at low-cost or no cost. 

Healthy living education had some additional big wins in 2023. 25 employees from 9 different food establishments obtained ServeSafe Food Safety Manager certificates in 2023 after the classes offered by the Cooperative extension. Additionally, 25% of participants in the MED Instead of Meds program decreased their blood pressure, and an additional 37.5% reported weight loss over the 6 week class. 

 

The surveys that were used to obtain the percentages in 2022 (Youth that enhanced their knowledge of health and adults that increased their knowledge of how to prepare foods including home food preservation) were not used in 2023, so no updated data is available. 

Partners

The partners for Sizzlin' Summer Series include:

Agency	Person	Role
Healthy Yancey Coalition	Amber Dillinger, Chair	Lead
Partners Aligned Toward Health	Hannah Robinson Michael, Healthy Lifestyles Program Manager	Lead
Yancey County Emergency Management	Jeff Howell, Director	Collaborate
Yancey County Sheriff's Department	Sheriff Shane Hilliard	Collaborate
AMY Regional Library and Bookmobile	Jamie McCabe, Bookmobile & Outreach Librarian	Collaborate
Parkway Playhouse	Jenny Martin, Director of Education	Collaborate
Yancey County Health Department		Support
Mountain Community Health Partnership	Ellie Hoover, Communications Manager	Collaborate
Big Brothers Big Sisters	Melissa Dale	Collaborate
Pisgah Legal Services	Maxine McLaughlin, Regional Program Director	Collaborate
Appalachian Performing Arts		Collaborate
RHA Health Services	Aimee Fambrough	Collaborate
Mitchell-Yancey Substance Abuse Task Force	Jessica Zucchino, Substance Misuse Program Manager	Collaborate
Appalachian Youth to Youth	Tara Wright, Youth Program Specialist	Collaborate
Home Remedies Program	Jacquie Lopez, Home Remedies Program Coordinator	Collaborate
Blue Ridge Partnership for Children	Sylvia Buchanan, Resource Specialist	Collaborate
Yancey County Schools	Kathy Amos, Superintendent	Support
Community volunteers		Support
Yancey County Farmers Market	Cheri Lee, Farmers Market Manager	Support
Town of Burnsville	Heather Hockaday, Town Manager	Support
Yancey County Government	Lynn Austin, County Manager	Support

What Is It?

The Sizzlin' Summer Series was identified as an action, that when combined with other actions in our community, has a reasonable chance of making a difference in healthy living across the lifespan outcomes in Yancey County. This is an ongoing program in our community. 

The customers for this program are all Yancey County residents with a focus on families and chilren. The Sizzlin' Summer Series aims to make a difference at the individual, interpersonal, organizational, and community change levels. Implementation will take place on the Burnsville Town Square on Saturdays during the summer.

Progress in 2022

After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the Sizzlin' Summer Series restarted in June. The Sizzlin' Summer Series is possible due to the strong support and collaboration between agencies and communities that plan and host a weekly event. The Series had the greatest number of participants since it began in 2016 with over 1,900 community members participating throughout the summer. 

Progress in 2023

Sixteen agencies partnered to host free community events on the Burnsville Town Square every Saturday during the summer months. All events promoted physical activity and had activities for all ages to participate in.  Over 3,000 people attended, making it the highest attendance of the Sizzlin’ Summer Series to date.

Partners

The partners for A Matter of Balance include:

Agency	Person	Role
High Country Area Agency on Aging	Sia Beasley, Health Promotion Specialist	Lead
Yancey County Library		Support
Yancey County Senior Center		Support

What Is It?

A Matter of Balance was identified as an action, that when combined with other actions in our community, has a reasonable chance of making a difference in healthy living across the lifespan outcomes in Yancey County. This is a new program in our community.

The customers for this evidence-based program are older adults and individuals at a higher risk of falling. A Matter of Balance aims to make a difference at the individual and interpersonal change levels. Implementation will take place at the Yancey County Library.

Progress in 2022

The High Country Area Agency on Aging hired a Health Promotion Specialist in November. The Health Promotion Specialist will begin implementingn A Matter of Balance classes across the high country service area in 2023.

Progress in 2023

A matter of balance had 27 regular participants in 2023. Classes were held at the Sizzilin' Summer Series, The Yancey County Senior Center, and the Yancey County Public Library. All classes had great attendance numbers.

At the end of 2023 classes paused due to a change in staff. 

Importance

Reliable and sufficient nutrition is necessary in order to have a healthy, active life. Many rural communities, including Yancey County, were already struggling with low grocery store access and availability and low wages and poverty. The inflating cost of food, supply train disruptions, and employment impacts resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have complicated the food environment in Yancey County.

Partners

The partners for Harvest Share include:

Agency	Person	Role
Dig In! Yancey Community Garden	Andrew Weisberg, Food for All Coordinator	Lead
TRACTOR Food & Farms	Sierra Bryant, Operations Manager	Support
Rec House	John Miller, Executive Director	Collaborate
Community Volunteers		Support

What Is It?

Harvest Share was identified as an action, that when combined with other actions in our community, has a reasonable chance of making a difference in food insecurity and access to food outcomes in Yancey County. This is an ongoing program in our community. 

The customers for this program are all Yancey County residents. Harvest Share aims to make a difference at the individual, interpersonal, organizational, and community change levels. Implementation will take place at West Burnsville Baptist Church on Wednesdays during the growing season.

Progress in 2022

Harvest Share saw more families than ever before in 2022. Toward the end of the Harvest Share season, the program transitioned from an emergency food system distribution where food was pre-selected and back to a community food support model. Harvest Share participants could walk up to a community market-style distribution tent and self-select local produce to take home.

Progress in 2023

Harvest Share market took place for 26 weeks in 2023. The average number of people served weekly rose to 462. This free community market fed an average of 181 households per week in 2023.

Partners

The partners for Reconciliation House Food Pantry include:

Agency	Person	Role
Reconciliation House	John Miller, Executive Director	Lead
MANNA Food Bank		Partner
TRACTOR Food & Farms		Partner
Dig In! Yancey Community Garden		Partner

What Is It?

The Reconciliation Food Pantry was identified as an action, that when combined with other actions in our community, has a reasonable chance of making a difference in food insecurity and access to food outcomes in Yancey County. This is an ongoing program in our community. 

The customers for this program are Yancey County residents. The Reconciliation Food Pantry aims to make a difference at the individual change level. Implementation takes place at Reconciliation House in Burnsville.

Progress in 2022

Reconciliation House Food Pantry launched an online ordering platform for clients to shop for food. They also transitioned back to a client choice/self-selection model where clients can shop for food of their choice. During COVID-19, clients were given a pre-made box of food. The Food Pantry did not see a change in the number of clients served in 2022. However, there was a shift in clientele makeup. The Food Pantry supported fewer larger families but helped more older adults in 2022.

Progress in 2023

The Reconcilation House served 4,836 unduplicated individuals and 5,076 duplicated (meaning the organization helped these individuals more than once a month) in 2023. This is highest number of partipants ever served. All aged ranges were served but 2023 brought an 11% increase in ages 65+.

The reconcilation house continued to use a Client Choice model where families were given the ability to select food in an experience similar to grocery store shoping. The "orderahead.org" platform allows partipants to order online and pickup curbside as a convenience.

Partners

The partners for Summer Food Program include:

Agency	Person	Role
Dig In! Yancey Community Garden	Kavita Hardy, Executive Director Andrew Weisberg, Food for All Coordinator	Lead
TRACTOR Food & Farms	Sierra Bryant, Operations Manager Alyssa Austin, Program Manager Andrew Snavely, Outreach Manager	Lead
Rec House	John Miller, Executive Director	Lead
Partners Aligned Toward Health	Schell McCall, Executive Director Hannah Robinson Michael, Healthy Lifestyles Program Manager Donna Sink, Healthy Lifestyles Program Coordinator	Lead
NC Cooperative Extension	Niki Maness, Extension Agent, Family and Consumer Sciences	Lead
Yancey County Transportation Authority	Michael Harris, Director	Support
AMY Regional Library Bookmobile	Jamie McCabe, Bookmobile & Outreach Librarian	Support
Yancey County Schools	School counselors	Support
Head Start		Support
Blue Ridge Healthy Families		Support
Community Volunteers		Support

What Is It?

The Summer Food Program was identified as an action, that when combined with other actions in our community, has a reasonable chance of making a difference in food insecurity and access to food outcomes in Yancey County. The program is unique in that food is delivered directly to the doorstep of local families. This is an ongoing program in our community. 

The customers for this program are Yancey County families with children in the home. Families are identified and enrolled in the program with support from community partners, including Yancey County Schools, Head Start, and Blue Ridge Healthy Families. The Summer Food Program aims to make a difference at the individual change level. Implementation will take place every other week during the summer months.

Progress in 2022

Between June and August of this year, the Summer Food Program provided six weeks of food to 145 families, including 317 children. Food was shared via delivery to the homes of enrolled families or families could pick up their food from TRACTOR Food & Farms. In total, the Summer Food Program delivered over 13,000 pounds of dry goods and 7,000 pounds of produce to families. Thirty different varieties of fruits and vegetables were available, including beautiful fresh berries, tomatoes, green beans, potatoes, eggplant, and more. This year’s program was made possible thanks to 323 hours of volunteer time.

Progress in 2023

The Summer Food Program provided 6 delivery days of fresh produce and dry goods to 96 families this summer. This program also held Student Choice Markets weekly at local schools where summer school students could self-select produce to take home to their families.

Progress on CHIPs

All Yancey County priorities are addressed in the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). Specific progress on each strategy reported in the CHIP is addressed within the Scorecard above. Select "Progress in 2022" under each strategy to learn more, or follow the links below. 

Behavioral Health

  Appalachian Youth to Youth

  Community Paramedic Program

  Mitchell-Yancey Substance Abuse Task Force

Healthy Living Across the Lifespan

  A Matter of Balance

  Healthy Living Education

  Sizzlin' Summer Series

Food Security and Access to Food

  Harvest Share

  Reconciliation House Food Pantry

  Summer Food Program

Significant Changes in Morbidity and Mortality

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

• NC Opioid Dashboard 
  • In 2022, there were 2 drug overdose deaths in Yancey County. This is a decrease from 3 drug overdose deaths in 2021 and 8 in 2020.
  • In 2022, there were 8 drug overdose ED visits in Yancey County. This is a decrease from 14 in 2021 and 2022.
• Robert Wood Johnson County Health Rankings
  • According to the Robert Wood Johnson County Health Rankings, Yancey County ranked 24 out of 100 counties in North Carolina.
  • According to health outcomes, Yancey is ranked among the healthiest counties in North Carolina (Highest 75%-100%).
  • According to health factors, Yancey is ranked in the higher middle range of counties in North Carolina (Higher 50%-75%).

Fifteen Leading Causes of Death

Age-Adjusted Death Rates per 100,000 Population

Standard Year = Year 2000 U.S. Population

Single 5-Year Aggregate, 2016-2020

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:

• Increase in fentanyl
• Increased need for developing health habits with kids as early as possible (schools do not have time to teach this type of information)
• Youth vape/e-cigarette use
• Youth mental health
• Suicide

New, Paused, or Discontinued Initiatives/Activities

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

• Yancey County Government received an opioid settlement planning grant from the Dogwood Health Trust
• Yancey County Health Department branched from the Toe River Health District in July
• The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) has stopped
• The Empowering Youth and Families Program no longer has a full-time coordinator. Due to a lack of participation across the state, the program is shifting to an online option.
• WIC continued to offer its services via telephone
• The Suicide Prevention and Mental Health group was formed in December
• In 2022, a small group of volunteers at Higgins Memorial United Methodist Church began work to develop resources for dementia caregivers in Yancey County. "Friends of Dementia Caregivers" organized and hosted a free workshop for dementia caregivers, developed and disseminated a list of Dementia Resources for Yancey County Caregivers, and established a caregivers and friends email list to which resource information, tips and links to training and education was disseminated regularly. By year's end, Friends of Dementia Caregivers developed a plan to launch a Dementia Caregivers Support Group in 2023. 
• TRACTOR Food & Farms relocated to Mitchell County in December.
• The Toe River Racqueteers Summer Camp added a three-day pickleball camp.
• Community Ambassador Real Equality (CARE Team) began working with Yancey Sheriff's Department
• SEARCH WNC conducted listening sessions around substance use, issues, and experiences in the community with various stakeholder groups (ex: EMS)

Progress on CHIPs

All Yancey County priorities are addressed in the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). Click on the links below and see Progress Made in 2023 section for more information.

For the priority area Behavioral Health see Progress in 2023 note tabs for each program below.

• Drug Safety Initiatives 
• Community Paramedic Program 
• Appalachian Youth to Youth

For the priority area Healthy Living Accross the Lifespan see Progress in 2023 note tabs for each program below.

•  A Matter of Balance 
• Sizzlin' Summer Series 
• Healthy Living Education

For the priority area Food Security and Access to Food see Progress in 2023 note tabs for each program below.

• Reconciliation House Food Pantry
• Summer Food Program 
• Harvest Share

 

Significant Changes in Morbidity and Mortality

There were no significant changes in morbidity and mortality to report for 2023.

Emerging Issues Impacting Health

• Primary care options have become limited due to a decrease in provider availability
• Housing and rent prices have become exponentially higher
• An increase in population has created a housing crisis
• Two new stores have opened that market vapes and other harmful recreational substances
• The cost of food is continously rising
• A volunteer shortage is creating stress on food delivery programs like Meals on Wheels
• STD cases, particularly Chlamydia and Syphillis, are rapidly rising
• A notable increase of intensity and frequency of respiratory illnesses such as strep, flu A & B, and Covid-19
• Yancey County DSS is suffering from a staffing shortage
• The number of children in foster care has risen with a lack of available foster home placements
• Transportation issues; limited hours available for residents
• An increase in mental health issues among all ages of the community
• Substance abuse arrests are at an all time high;EMS are seeing overdose patients need 6+ doses of narcan for reversal. 
• Xyzlazine, a newer substance, has surfaced in our community.

New, Paused, or Discontinued Initiatives/Activities

New Initiatives and Activities

• A community learning process led by local government and community based public health organizations took place to provide guidance on the usage of funds for the Opioid settlement. The website link to the report is here: pathwnc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Mitchell-Yancey-Community-Learning-Process-around-substance-use-Feb-2024-full-report.pdf
• A new free series of communtiy clinics began through PATH providing alternative services such as acupuncture, massage, and other modalities.
• Renovation planning on the Kid Mountain playground has begun and will continue through 2024.
• A new organization called THRIVE Appalachia! emerged and is offering paid apprenticeships for youth ages 12-18.
• The former Suicide Prevention and Mental Health group was re-named "Piece of Mind" in 2023 and continues to combat mental health issues and prevention of suicide.
• A postpartum and newborn home visit program was launched by Yancey County Health Department.
• Yancey County Government began construction on a transportation building to be completed in 2024.
• The Yancey County Government finished construction on a new covered location for the Yancey County Farmer's Market and will be open in April 2024.

Paused Initiatives and Activities: 

• At the end of 2023, a matter of balance and tai chi for older adults classes were paused due to change of staff. 

Discontinued Initiatives and Activities:

• No discontinued activities or initiatives