Press release
Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming County Health Departments, in collaboration with Rochester Regional Health at United Memorial Medical Center (UMMC), Orleans Community Health (OCH), and Wyoming County Community Health System (WCCHS), have announced the completion of the 2022-2024 GOW Community Health Assessment (CHA) and Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP).
Every three years, health departments, local hospitals and community partners come together to complete a comprehensive assessment about the community’s current health status and needs. This process includes collecting quantitative data, qualitative data, and community feedback related to health in our community. Much of the data looks beyond the traditional medical definition of health to examine the social determinants of health such as housing, income, employment, education, and access to healthy food, all of which play an integral role in health outcomes.
“With the help from the public and our community partners, we were able to collect a total of 2094 survey responses between March and June 2022,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health). “The Community Health Assessment compares the data trends in the GOW region and guides the selection of priority areas for the Community Health Improvement plan.”
The Community Health Improvement Plan is an interactive document that is continuously updated based on the needs of the community. It is a strategic plan for local health departments, hospitals and community partners to work on over a three year period to address the priority areas identified in the Community Health Assessment, and to improve the community’s health.
In the 2022-2024 GOW Community Health Improvement Plan, the community survey and community conversations helped inform some of the public health initiatives that the local health departments and hospitals will focus on in the coming years. The 2022-2024 priority areas are:
· Prevent Chronic Disease
o Prevent initiation of tobacco use
o Increase cancer screening rates
o Improve self-management skills for individuals with chronic diseases
· Promote Well-Being and Prevent Mental and Substance Use Disorders
o Prevent opioid overdose deaths
o Prevent and address adverse childhood experiences
“We look forward to collaborating with community partners throughout the GOW region to address these local public health issues and improve the health of the communities we serve,” stated Laura Paolucci, Wyoming County Health Department Public Health Administrator. “By working together to address these priority areas, we can increase access to public health programs and services to meet the needs of our residents.”
To access the 2022-2024 GOW Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan, visit your respective health department website. · GO Health Website GO Health News – Genesee & Orleans County Department of Health (gohealthny.org) · Wyoming County Health Department Community Health Assessment, Improvement Plan, and Services Plan | Wyoming County, NY
To provide comments on the GOW Community Health Assessment, complete this feedback form. Genesee-Orleans-Wyoming (GOW) Community Health Assessment Feedback Form- 2022-2024 Survey (surveymonkey.com)