Chaffee County Public Health (CCPH) is excited to launch its 2021 Community Health Assessment.
Local public health agencies are required to conduct a Community Health Assessment every five years that is used to create a five-year Community Health Improvement Plan. In 2016, CCPH completed a community health assessment and plan that prioritized behavioral health, oral health, and senior services and supports. While much progress has been made in these areas, we want to hear from the public and community partners regarding the current health and wellness landscape of Chaffee County and what sectors our community should be focusing on in 2022-2027. CCPH encourages our entire county to take some time to fill out our community-wide survey to help us understand how to make Chaffee County a healthier place to live. This survey is anonymous. However, if you’d like to be entered into our incentive drawings to support local businesses, you can leave your name and email at the end of the survey. The link to the online survey can be found here: https://bit.ly/chaffeehealthassessment.
The last day to complete the survey is 10.29.21. Paper copies will be distributed through CCPH’s programs as well as at its main office in Salida. CCPH is also happy to mail paper copies to those who need it. Spanish translation of the survey will be available in the near future.
In addition to the community-wide survey, CCPH, along with the Colorado School of Public Health, will be conducting key informant interviews with health and wellness stakeholders, as well as holding several community partner focus groups using the Nominal Group Technique model for prioritizing health needs in the county. CCPH will also be at upcoming community events to promote the survey as well. There should be ample ways for the entire community to participate in the process.
Data will be collected through October, and the Colorado School of Public Health should have it synthesized by the end of November so that CCPH can finalize a five-year plan taking all of us into 2022.
“We know that COVID-19 has brought public health to the forefront for the first time for many in our society. However, CCPH has always had a stellar reputation in our county to help ensure that affordable and accessible options to healthcare and wellness are available, despite age and socioeconomic status. Our role here is to be chief health strategists so that our county has what it needs to thrive. We will continue this mission, even though the last year and a half has put a strain on our healthcare system. Now is the time for
our county to rally to prioritize health and wellness like never before,” says Andrea Carlstrom, Director, Chaffee County Public Health and Incident Commander for our local COVID-19 response.
