Guest column | Assessing health of Marion County vital

The health of an individual is a private and personal matter and for those of us who don't over-share on social media, we expect to keep it that way. The health status of a population, whether the global population or our own community of Marion, is a different story. Because our population's health is a reflection and a determinant of our community's health, it is a very public matter.

The issues that impact our health are the same ones that impact our community. Issues like poverty, education, employment, safety, and disenfranchisement are recognized as community issues but they are also barriers to good health. They impact a person's ability to achieve and sustain health. In public health, we refer to this issue as one of health equity.

Our local economy is impacted by the health of the local population. Employers depend on a healthy and sober workforce to be efficient, productive and safe. Consumers depend on safe products across the spectrum, from the food being prepared and served in the restaurants to the integrity of the septic systems being repaired or installed in their backyards. Neighbors depend on neighbors to avoid blight and depreciation of property values.

A population that fails to responsibly immunize itself is collectively at risk for the tragedy of preventable disease and death. Within the healthcare system, we all end up paying some measure of the 75 percent of healthcare spending focused on preventable chronic diseases that result from systemic underinvestment in preventing those same maladies, primarily associated with obesity, tobacco use and substance abuse.

As good stewards of the public's investment, those of us who serve the public have an obligation to be as impactful as possible. That means collaboration, coordination, and alignment. In Marion, that is exactly what we are doing.

We are not alone. Across the country, every three to five years, local health departments and hospitals are challenged to assess the health of the communities they serve and to develop and implement plans to address the issues that are identified as priorities.

Several weeks ago, a diverse group of key informants met to identify a preliminary set of potential priorities around which to focus our work to promote and protect the health of the Marion population. Some of those issues were the perennial topics of obesity, tobacco use, and substance abuse.

The group also identified a few that would involve leadership and champions beyond the traditional healthcare or public health fields. These included education, transportation, violence and safety. Finally, there were a number of issues that were cross-cutting in nature. Issues like poverty and vulnerable populations are ones that underscore all the others.

During the month of May, Marion Public Health will be engaged in collecting feedback from the public at large with regard to the priority health and health-related issues facing Marion. All residents of Marion County are invited to take a very brief online survey. The direct link to the online survey is https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Marion_Community_Health_Assessment.

Alternatively, if public groups would like to meet in person, please email me directly at TQuade@MarionPublicHealth.org to schedule a time to meet with me or one of my leadership team.

Thomas Quade is Health Commissioner for Marion Public Health.