Are you engaged in community's health?
By Steve Smith, Health Director
Past surveys by various public health institutions to gauge the public’s perception of their role have yielded mixed results in terms of awareness, knowledge and trust. The awareness and trust of these entities including local health departments are generally high, but specific knowledge of their services and legal obligations are often limited. Public health has long understood that it needs to do a better job representing its mission and the value of services to the community.
The foundation for public health services and related legal requirements in our county rests with the Henderson County Board of Health. The board, a professional group of 11 individuals appointed by the Henderson County Board of Commissioners, consists of a physician, Robert Duffey; dentist, Pete Richards; optometrist, Craig Poole; veterinarian, Leslie Leidecker; registered nurse, Barbara Stanley; pharmacist, Robyn Sutton Bryson; county commissioner, Bill Lapsley; professional engineer, James Crafton; and three members of the general public, Bo Caldwell, David Ellis, and Graham Fields. North Carolina law requires this particular composition and stipulates that the board has the “... responsibility to protect and promote the public health.”
One of the challenges for increasing awareness about public health is that it is a broad field which addresses a range of issues that affect your health and quality of life. One generally accepted definition of public health is from the 1988 Institute of Medicine’s report, The Future of Public Health. It states that public health is “what we as a society do collectively to assure the conditions in which people can be healthy.” This concept acknowledges that health isn’t defined by medical care or even public health services alone. The reality is that where you live, work, study and play can make all the difference in the quality of your health. Social determinants such as education, income, housing, transportation, family support and community safety are the dominant influences for health outcomes, how long people live and how healthy people feel while alive.
So how are the Board of Health and this not-so-new paradigm for health improvement connected? The board has been implementing a comprehensive strategy which recognizes that the health department alone cannot improve public health in our community. In part, this approach relies on a strong community health assessment process with our local hospitals and many other community organizations. You can review some of that work on our website hendersoncountync.gov/health; click on Community Data under the Community Interest tab. That process in 2015 designated four issues as health priorities: substance abuse, access and quality of mental health services, safe and affordable housing and obesity. It’s important to emphasize that these priorities weren’t selected by the Board of Health; they were prioritized by the community. These weren’t the only concerns for our county, but they were significant and complex enough that to generate improvement, multiple community organizations, interventions and resources would be needed.
The essence of that process is community engagement, and that is what matters to your local Board of Health. They desire that everyone — from individuals to organizations — participate in building a healthy community. The framework for much of that community centered work is linked to the Partnership for Health, an umbrella organization that seeks to support and coordinate collective health improvement efforts in Henderson County among individuals and many community organizations, including public health. That synergy has created initiatives like Hope Rx, the community health assessment and individual events like Sam Quinones’ recent appearance to speak about the opioid problem.
Our community should be proud of its collective work. Henderson County is currently ranked as the 15th healthiest county in North Carolina (countyhealthrankings.org). We’ve made great progress, but there still is much work ahead to address our pressing challenges. During April, which is Public Health Month, join me in celebrating your contributions to our community’s health. Continue to make a difference by attending a Board of Health meeting, joining a community initiative, participating in the 2018 community health assessment process or simply making sure your voice is heard with elected officials about issues that are important to your family and neighborhood. Be engaged to make a positive difference in health for all.
Steve Smith is the health director for the Henderson County Department of Public Health. He invites you to be engaged in our community’s health and attend the next monthly Board of Health meeting on Tuesday, May 8, at 6 p.m.
