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Access to health care, mental health among key areas in community health assessment

The Holland Sentinel - 3/15/2021

Mar. 14—HOLLAND — Every three years, a cohort of health organizations in Ottawa County oversee a survey of county residents, health care professionals and community leaders to gauge its overall health.

This survey, the Community Health Needs Assessment, helps health officials identify health issues and prioritize strategies to address them.

Results of the 2020 CHNA were released Thursday, March 11, during a presentation given to local and regional stakeholders. Officials identified 10 key findings from the survey, among them access to health care, mental health and the COVID-19 pandemic's effects on physical and mental health for county residents.

"The data collected from this in the past has been vital in understanding community health," said Patrick Cisler, executive director of the Lakeshore Nonprofit Alliance.

In the CHNA, the following groups were surveyed:

— 9 key stakeholders; executives and directors of health systems.

— 123 key informants; health care professionals. In this group, 120 were surveyed again during late 2020, when Ottawa County was experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases.

— 346 community residents from underserved and vulnerable populations.

— 1,200 other community residents.

Overall access to health care is considered a positive aspect for the county, as its three hospitals and other clinics and practices can meet the needs of residents. But the cost of health care, particularly for those who make enough money to not qualify for Medicaid, still struggle.

The survey found 38.1 percent of underserved adults had trouble meeting health care needs in the past two years. Nearly 55 percent said health care being too expensive was the reason for this.

Other responses included lacking health insurance altogether, not being able to afford co-pays and deductibles, and not being able to afford prescription drugs.

Compared to the 2017 CHNA, mental health outcomes have worsened among surveyed residents.

Close to one in six county adults (15.3 percent) report poor mental health, close to double 2017's rate. Of those surveyed, 1 in 20 reported having thoughts of suicide — among this group, 1 in 5 reported attempting suicide in the past year.

Youth mental health outcomes are also a concern. The CHNA found 18.5 percent of youth have had suicidal thoughts and of that group, 36.8 percent have attempted suicide in the past year, both increases from 2017.

"Key stakeholders and key informants consider issues surrounding mental health to

be the most pressing or concerning health issues currently," the CHNA's executive summary states.

The group identified four key concerns surrounding mental health:

— Poor mental health is prevalent for both youth and adults.

— Poor mental health is often found in relation to other social, behavioral or physical problems.

— The stigma around mental health could prevent those suffering from seeking care.

— A lack of services and professionals to address poor mental health.

Other key findings included examining negative social factors, like a lack of affordable housing, on health outcomes for county residents. Obesity remains an issue, and figures haven't improved since 2017.

The full report can be found on healthyottawa.org. Health officials are hopeful they can use the report's findings to improve health outcomes for all of the county's residents. The findings will be used in the next iteration of the County Health Improvement Plan, which is expected to be released in the near future.

— Contact reporter Arpan Lobo at alobo@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @arpanlobo.

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