Tackling Linn County health challenges

Pramod Dwivedi & Sharon Bertroche

In July, the Linn County Board of Supervisors and Board of Health released a comprehensive report on the health status of Linn County residents. The report outlines a number of health issues from communicable to chronic diseases, risky behaviors to access to health care. It is unique because this type of comprehensive health assessment is a first of its kind in Iowa.

The report showed, for the most part, the overall health of our county is good, but there are some challenges.

So, how to tackle those challenges?

Local public health leaders must begin to address the health challenges in Linn County and work to improve overall health by working together. Public health is most effective when it works in partnership with other entities such as cities/towns, schools, hospitals and other non-profit organizations. The partnership is vital to address health issues, develop public health policies, communicate public health information, and translate science into practice.

There are areas in Linn County where the burden of specific health events are more pronounced than other places in the county. This report offers us an opportunity as a community to assess areas of concern and develop strategies to reduce the burden of diseases and advance the healthy environment and behaviors already present in parts of Linn County.

Access to healthy foods, affordable quality homes, physical activity, clean air, parks, safe schools and recreational facilities are important for our neighborhoods to be healthy and we must work to provide these types of resources in more areas throughout Linn County.

Linn County Public Health is prepared to lead this effort with the help of our community partners, many of whom have the reach and influence for advancing and championing the cause of public health.

By developing robust partnerships among stakeholders, we will prioritize our work and focus on preventing communicable and chronic diseases and developing healthy environments and communities. These partnerships also will pave the way to bolster a performance management and accountability process already under preparation by Linn County Public Health.

Meanwhile, the Linn County Board of Supervisors and Board of Health will continue our work to ensure that every Linn County resident has access to public health services, no matter where they live.

If you would like to be part of the effort to improve public health in Linn County, please let us know.

Public health, by nature, is a multidisciplinary field composed of many occupational areas such as medicine, nursing, engineering, epidemiology, sanitation science, nutrition science, dental science, law and others. A background in public health is not a prerequisite for being active in bettering the health of our community.

Connect with us by sending an email message to health@linncounty.org or by phoning (319) 892-6000. We encourage participation in this important mission.

The full report is on Linn County's website and easily accessed by visiting: bit.ly/HealthofLinnCounty.

' Pramod Dwivedi is director at Linn County Public Health. Sharon Bertroche, M.D., is a family physician and member of the Linn County Board of Health. Comments: LinnCounty.org