Res­i­dents Rate Onslow Coun­ty’s Health

(Onslow County) – A pain-free, active and healthy lifestyle is something Onslow County residents want according to a health assessment released this week. More than 600 residents completed the survey, which was done jointly by the Onslow County Health Department and Onslow Memorial Hospital from September 2015 through January.

“This collaboration between the hospital and health department has been and will continue to be good for Onslow County,” said Angela Lee, Health Director of the Onslow County Health Department. “By combining our staff, resources, and knowledge, we will be able to accomplish the goal of the community health assessment process: a healthier Onslow County with opportunities for all to be healthy where they live, work, play, and study. Of course, we are especially thankful to the residents who took the survey that made this work possible.”

“This is a logical partnership for us,” said Penney Burlingame Deal, chief executive officer for Onslow Memorial Hospital. “Both of our organizations are required to survey the community for health concerns, so it makes sense that we do this project together. And we’re excited about working together for a healthier community.”

Although eight out of 10 ranked their own health as good, very good or excellent, many of the respondents said they needed healthier food, better incomes and affordable health insurance to improve their health and quality of life. Many respondents said that they suffered from joint pain, back pain, high blood pressure, dental problems, diabetes and/or obesity.

Compared to all North Carolina residents, Onslow County has a lower percentage of mothers who smoke during pregnancy, a higher rate for lung cancer, a larger portion of people dying from diabetes, and a higher percentage of residents who have limited access to healthy foods.

The results of the survey were first shared with the Community Health Assessment Team, a group composed of representatives of public, private, and nonprofit organizations that meets quarterly to provide feedback about the assessment process and results.

As a result of the survey and months of additional research, the Community Health Action Team decided to focus community health efforts in the following areas: blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, suicide, substance abuse, and healthy eating.

The next step in the Community Health Needs Assessment process is to develop action plans for the priority health areas. These plans will involve several agencies and a variety of projects with the goal of improving overall health in the county.

The Onslow County Consolidated Human Services Advisory Committee invites members of the public to the next Community Health Assessment Team meeting to review and provide feedback on the proposed action plans. The meeting will be held Tuesday, November 22, from 9:00-11:00 in the Health Department auditorium, 612 College Street, Jacksonville.

To see the complete report as well as the data used to write the report, visit the Onslow Memorial Hospital website page: http://www.onslow.org/community-health-needs-assessment or the Onslow County Health Department website under Health Alerts (http://www.onslowcountync.gov/health). Questions can be directed to Pamela Brown at 910-989-3966.