OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. -- A Community Health Needs Assessment in Ottawa County has taken a comprehensive look at various health-status indicators.
The findings have released by the Ottawa County Department of Public Health, and officially announced at a presentation in Zeeland on Wednesday afternoon.
The 2023 CHNA report is now available at healthyottawa.org.
The assessment is a collection of research studies done once every three years that examines the health status indicators for Ottawa County.
Here is more information from an Ottawa County Health Department news release:
Information in the CHNA is gathered through interviews with more than 1,500 adults including community members, healthcare professionals, and community leaders, to provide a comprehensive picture of Ottawa County’s health and well-being.
Ottawa County is placed among the best counties in the nation for length and quality of life. Factors such as quality healthcare, good education systems, low unemployment, safe communities, high collaboration, a philanthropic spirit, and a clean environment make Ottawa County a healthy place to live. The CHNA results identified several positive themes as well as key issues, some of which are detailed below.
Positive Themes in the 2023 CHNA:
- Most adults in Ottawa County have some form of health insurance. In 2023, only 7.1% of area adults were without health insurance, the lowest since 2011.
- More adults report being a healthy weight, and obesity rates declined from 34.5% in 2020 to 28.7% in 2023.
- In 2023, more women aged 40+ report having received mammograms than any other year since 2011.
- Utilization of clinical preventive practices remains high in Ottawa County, but long-term trends may be going down.
- More adults are physically active in their leisure time. In 2023, only 10.2% of adults did not do something physically active in their leisure time, much lower than 16.4% in 2020.
Key Issues and Needs Identified in the 2023 CHNA:
- In 2023, mental health remained a top health issue. Ottawa-area adults reported some of the highest levels of psychological distress, anxiety, and depression since the first CHNA in 2011.
- Accessing health care, including mental health care, continues to be a problem, particularly for people who are uninsured or underinsured.
- Physical health metrics and chronic disease rates have gotten worse since 2020 and more area adults rate their health as fair or poor than at any other time since 2011.
- Housing and childcare affordability and accessibility are concerns for more people.
- The percent of Ottawa-area adults reporting marijuana use, binge drinking, or vaping reached some of the highest levels since 2011.
“The data in this report is a snapshot of the health of Ottawa County residents and includes feedback from adult residents, underserved and vulnerable adults, healthcare leaders, and frontline healthcare workers,” said Dr. Jack R. Roossien Jr., MD, Quality and Risk Management Director, Physician Emeritus, Trinity Health Grand Haven Hospital. “This assessment is an important tool that highlights the community’s health needs and allows us to create meaningful strategies to address those.”
CHNA results are used to:
- Prioritize health issues and develop strategic plans.
- Monitor the effectiveness of intervention measures.
- Examine the achievements of prevention program goals.
- Support appropriate public health policy.
- Educate the public about disease prevention.
In addition to sharing the 2023 CHNA results, presenters will provide an update on the progress of the 2021 Healthy Ottawa Plan, and attendees will have the opportunity to provide input on the development of the 2024 Healthy Ottawa Plan.
“The Healthy Ottawa Plan is the blueprint that guides community action and resources over the next three years,” noted Amber TerHaar, Manager of Community Health, Zeeland and Pennock Hospitals, Corewell Health West. “It is really an endeavor that benefits the most people when input from many groups and individuals is included in the process. We hope to collaborate with people across the county who can offer their thoughts and insights as we develop the 2024 Healthy Ottawa Plan.”
“Ottawa County has a history of addressing community needs through robust collaboration because health issues are too great for one organization to solve on its own. It is our hope that through continued partnerships, this community will address the health priority areas identified in the 2024 Healthy Ottawa Plan by continuing to work together to create creative and attainable solutions to our community’s unique and pressing health needs,” added Mikaela Andrea, Director of Behavioral Health and Care Management, Holland Hospital.
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