DARLINGTON — The Healthy Lafayette Committee, and many other community partners, is conducting a Community Health Needs Assessment to better understand the health priorities and challenges that are facing local residents. The Healthy Lafayette Committee is in partnership with the Lafayette County Health Department; Lafayette Hospital + Clinics; UW Extension; Rural WI Health Cooperative (RWHC); Lafayette County Human Services; Mental Health Matters; Aging Disability Resource Center (ADRC); Lafayette County Economic Development; Darlington School District; and Belmont School District. The Healthy Lafayette Committee is continuing its mission to enhance the health and well-being of the community. A plan to address the needs of the community is typically updated every three to five years.
The public is encouraged to participate in a brief, 5-minute survey, available in both English and Spanish. The survey asks questions regarding the needs of the community. This important tool will collect valuable feedback from individuals of all ages about key health issues that are important to area residents. Some of those key issues will focus on and include: Mental health, Substance use, Access to healthcare, Housing, Nutrition, Physical activity, Child Care, along with a variety of other topics. Once information is gathered, along with secondary data, the information will be presented to the community and health priorities will be chosen. The current health priorities are Mental Health and Housing.
“The insights we gather from this survey will directly shape how we plan, prioritize, and allocate resources over the next several years,” said Julie Liebfreid, Lafayette County Health Department Director. “The Community Health Assessment process gives us a chance to connect with residents, hear what matters most to them, and work together with our partners to make our community healthier.”
The goal is to gather five-hundred completed surveys by November 10. This is the opportunity for the community to voice any concerns that they may have regarding healthcare, community related issues, and open up about any challenges they may be facing or experiencing. Participation to take the survey is voluntary. All survey responses are kept confidential.
“It’s a meaningful opportunity for residents to have a voice in shaping a healthier community,” shares Tammie Jamiska, Marketing Director of Lafayette Hospital + Clinics. “This lengthy process is done by community partners, for the community’s benefit, and it’s well worth it once complete. Everyone has been great to work with so far, and there’s a real passion behind this project. I learned long ago in my career that communities that work together can truly make a difference. That’s the ultimate goal: to make a difference in the lives of our patients and the broader community.”
A community health assessment gives organizations information about the community’s current health status, needs, and issues. This information can help develop a community health improvement plan by justifying how and where resources should be allocated to best meet community needs. Part of the assessment process is a community survey; while other forms of community information is gathered through Community Conversations and Stakeholder interviews. These will all be taking place simultaneously. A community health needs assessment refers to a state, tribal, local, or territorial health assessment that identifies key health needs and issues through systematic, comprehensive data collection, and analysis.
The Healthy Lafayette Committee encourages everyone to take a few minutes to complete the survey and help build a stronger, healthier community through shared insight and collaborative planning. The final phase of the process will be the writing of a Community Health Improvement Plan, which will outline the focus for the next 3 to 5 years, for the Healthy Lafayette committee and other entities that would like to partner to improve the community’s health.
If you would like to be part of Healthy Lafayette or a community conversation, please reach out to Julie Leibfried at Julie.leibried@lafayettecountywi.org or Tammie Jamiska at tammie.jamiska @mymhlc.org.
