Input sought from locals to help direct local public health work

Summit County, Utah (April 22, 2019) – The Summit County Health Department is seeking input from residents and workers in the county to help shape local public health efforts. Through May 31, members of the public can take the 2019 Community Health Assessment survey in English or Spanish and share their thoughts, ideas and concerns. Survey responses will aid the Summit County Board of Health in developing a strategic plan for the health department.

“Input from the community is a vital part of our strategic planning process,” Summit County Health Director, Rich Bullough, said. “This assessment allows us to plan ahead to best meet the public’s needs as Summit County continues to grow and evolve.”

Community health assessments were previously conducted by the health department in 2012 and 2016. The 2012 assessment was a standard community health assessment. The 2016 assessment focused on mental health and was the driving force behind the creation of the Summit County Mental Wellness Alliance.

Questions are designed to be “emotionally-based” in order to create an open-ended discussion between participants and the health department. Focus is placed on concerns arising in the next several years.  When the assessment closes, responses will be compiled into a report for the Board of Health by Environmental Health Director Phil Bondurant, who also drafted the assessment.

“It’s time to evaluate where we’ve grown and improved and where we’ve struggled,” Bondurant, said. “With this information, we can identify priority issues in the county — challenges the public is concerned their children and grandchildren will face.”

In addition to adults, children ages 12 and up are encouraged to participate in the assessment with their parents’ permission. As an added incentive, the health department will be giving away Amazon gift cards to participants when response benchmarks are met. The health department has set a goal to gather at least 750 survey responses.

The 2019 survey can be taken online at https://summitcountyhealth.org/survey2019 or in-person at any of the Summit County Health Department’s three locations.