Community Health Assessment Identifies Caldwell County’s Top Health Priorities

LENOIR, NC (June 13, 2023) — Caldwell County Health Department recently released findings of its Community Health Assessment (CHA). The assessment identified transportation, substance misuse, and mental health as the top three health priorities for the county.

“The CHA helps us identify the needs here in Caldwell County, so we can build collaborative partnership to address the most pressing needs,” said Caldwell County Public Health Director Anna Martin. “Over the years, thanks to partnerships formed because of the CHA, we have seen infant mortality decline as well as teen pregnancy. We realize it may take several years, but our work in these areas will make a positive impact.”

Nearly all survey participants agreed drug misuse was the community/health issue most affecting quality of life in Caldwell County. Furthermore, responders listed drug misuse as the most common unhealthy behavior in the county.

Survey responders identified mental health as the service needing the most improvement and transportation as having the greatest impact on the health of the county. 

With priorities identified, the Health Department will determine what groups in the county are already working to address these priorities and collaborate with those groups to develop action plans to implement over the next three years.

Every three years local health departments and hospitals conduct a Community Health Assessment (CHA) in their respective county.

The CHA is the foundation for improving and promoting the health of the community. The assessment identifies factors affecting the health of a population and determines the availability of resources within the community to adequately address these issues. Through collaborative efforts forged among community leaders and members, the community can begin to answer questions related to health status as well as available resources for all human services.

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