BATAVIA, Ohio (Oct. 7, 2014) – A product of more than two years of collaboration, public forums and online surveys, Clermont County’s 2014-2019 Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) identified four key health issues that need to be improved in the county:
• Obesity
• Tobacco use
• Drug addiction
• Mental health
Clermont County Public Health and its many partners, including the Clermont Mental Health and Recovery Board, the Coroner’s Office, law enforcement agencies, Mercy Health, and the Clermont Family YMCA, began work on the plan in 2012 when the group devised a Community Health Assessment using a “Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships” framework developed by the National Association for City and County Health Officials.
Beginning in the spring of 2014, a series of town halls and public forums were held across Clermont County to gather additional input from the public on these issues, said Julianne Nesbit, Public Health Commissioner. “We wanted to make sure that these issues were ones that the public thought needed to be prioritized,” said Nesbit.
The CHIP sets specific goals, strategies and activities to decrease the baseline numbers in each of these categories, said Nesbit.
For example, in the obesity category (over 63% of county adults are overweight or obese), the plan calls for a decrease by August 2019 of 5% in the number of adults and children who do not engage in any physical activity. The plan lays out a number of steps to achieve this by using parks, schools and the workplace to promote and create opportunities for exercise.
The overall goal of the CHIP is to increase awareness of health issues impacting the community, and provide education and opportunities to the public to improve their health, she said. “With active participation of the community and our stakeholders, we can achieve the vision stated in the CHIP to make Clermont County a thriving, vibrant, and healthy community to live, play, work, learn, and grow.”
A copy of the full report and workplan can be found online.
(Above: Expansion of the Williamsburg to Batavia Bike/Hike Trail was recommended in the report.)
ABOUT CLERMONT PUBLIC HEALTH:
Clermont County Public Health is a local government agency that provides public and environmental services, regulatory compliance, nursing services and education/training to Clermont County residents. Clermont County Public Health is dedicated to the mission of protecting and improving the health of all Clermont County residents. The agency consists of five divisions and provides a wide variety of services. For more information, visit www.ccphohio.orgor call 513-732-7499.