Ronnie Lovler
Alachua County has just kicked off its own community and health improvement process to assist local leaders in determining what area residents want in terms of public health availability and programs.
Having a healthy community involves lots of local planning and participation, said Kourtney Oliver, administrator of the Alachua County Department of Health’s Healthy Communities program.
“This survey will help address the most pressing needs of Alachua County residents,” said Oliver. “It’s important for us to get as many Alachua County residents as possible to complete the survey as it really does inform programs to address our needs.”
Word is getting out through the distribution of the Alachua County Community Status Assessment, a survey that became available this week, to gather residents’ opinions for the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). It is one of the tools that will be used to create the next CHIP.
“This is done to best get and use resources into the local communities to address health needs and move the measures with health goals and objectives that are set,” Oliver said.
All 67 counties in Florida are involved with their own local process in alignment with the State Health Improvement Plan and the national effort, Healthy People 2030.
The county processes are conducted every three to five years.
In Alachua County, the assessment, which is to be completed by the end of next year, will lay the groundwork for public health improvements that will be made between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2029.
Oliver said the priorities of the current CHIP which ends next year were access to health care, oral health, mental health, food security, chronic disease prevention and housing. Access to health care has been the major concern cited in the past three surveys.
“Under each of these priority areas, community partners developed goals and measurable action plans,” she said.
The just launched Alachua County survey is being conducted by Knowli, a women-owned research, analytics and consulting company based in Tallahassee.
The survey is available online through Jan. 1, 2024, at https://tinyurl.com/AlachuaCSA or by scanning the QR code that accompanies the flyer. A paper version is also available upon request at info@knowli.com and will be available in English, Spanish and Creole. Knowli is the Tallahassee-based research, analytics and consulting company that is conducting the Alachua County survey.
The results of the survey are anonymous and will help local community leaders and agencies understand the public health needs and concerns of Alachua County residents. Any current or seasonal resident over the age of 18 may participate.
Participants who complete the survey will be eligible to enter a raffle for a $100 VISA gift card.