Summit County Health Department Conducts Community Health AssessmentSummit County Health Department Conducts Community Health Assessment The Summit County Health Department is seeking input from county residents to inform its health policies and programs. A community health assessment survey has been launched, open until November, and is available online in both English and Spanish. The survey aims to gather information beyond physical health, delving into social and economic factors that impact health, as well as the effects of the environment and climate change. Deputy Health Director Kendra Babitz emphasizes the importance of local data to tailor health services to the community’s needs. Public Health Director Phil Bondurant highlights the post-COVID nature of the survey, allowing for comparative analysis of pandemic impacts. To date, approximately 300 residents have participated, and the health department hopes to reach about 1,000 respondents. It particularly seeks to increase participation among Latin American residents. The survey can be accessed at summitcountyhealth.org/cha24 and takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.
Local health officials say they have enough national and regional data to inform policy, but the most important data comes from Summit County residents.
That’s why the Summit County Health Department conducts a community health assessment every three to five years.
“This is to assess what the priorities and concerns are for community health,” said Summit County Deputy Health Director Kendra Babitz. “This will impact what we do next year for our Community Health Improvement Plan, and that will impact the next five years of planning for our programs and services.”
The survey asks about more than just physical health. It also touches on social and economic factors that influence health.
The health service also wants to know how the environment and climate change are affecting residents’ health and identify any gaps in services.
Summit County Public Health Director Phil Bondurant said it’s “the most important” investigation his department is conducting.
“This is the first one we’ve done post-COVID,” he added. “We had one done right before the pandemic started, so we have some pre- and post-data on how the pandemic has affected us locally.”
The survey opened in May and will run through November. Babitz said about 300 of the county’s 43,000 residents have already responded.
The health service hopes for about 1,000 respondents and wants to increase participation among Latin American residents.
The 10-minute survey is available online in English and Spanish at summitcountyhealth.org/cha24.
