HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – The Hill County Health Consortium has approved a Community Health Needs Assessment.
This living document is for the community to utilize. These surveys are conducted every three years to evaluate the health status in the community and to help identify priority areas.
According to the key findings of the survey, the top 10 health concerns in Hill County are: illicit drug use, alcohol abuse, depression and anxiety, tobacco use, obesity, prescription drug abuse, diabetes, cancer, availability of affordable housing, and suicide.
At least 77 percent of the more than 177 respondents to the survey identified each of the top 10 health concerns as either “a problem,” or “a big problem.”
When it comes to what could improve the community’s access to health, improving the availability of walk-in clinics/urgent care was the highest-ranking choice, with 81 percent of respondents identifying it as a top way to improve access.
The top responses to a question asking what needs to be available to make Hill County a better place to raise children were: more activities for teens, more things for children to do with free time, and more parental resources for help raising children.
Input from the public will be incorporated into future editions of this document.
The Health Consortium is also working on creating a Community Health Improvement Plan which will prioritize the tackling of issues related to behavioral health, access to dental care, and obesity.
