Public Health and Human Services schedules three community health forums in August

The Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services Department invites Boone County residents to attend one of three community forums scheduled to determine the health priorities for Boone County.

Each community forum will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on the following dates. Residents are invited to drop in anytime within those two hours to cast their vote on what they feel are the top three health priorities of Boone County:

• Aug. 16: Centralia City Hall, 114 S. Rollins, Centralia
• Aug. 22: Activity & Recreation Center, 1701 W. Ash St., Columbia
• Aug. 23: Southern Boone County Senior Center, 406 Douglas Dr., Ashland

If residents cannot attend a forum, they can cast their vote on their top three health priorities by visiting the following link: https://goo.gl/forms/YHSc3nNDNpkFrSs53

As a part of the 2018 Community Health Assessment, 1,415 Boone County residents completed the Community Health Survey and 153 residents participated in focus groups. The results of the survey and focus groups, as well as other community health data and information from our public health system, have been used to identify the six priority areas. They are: affordable housing; community engagement and inclusion; drugs and alcohol; medical and dental; mental health; and safety net/basic needs. The next step is to share these six areas with residents and ask for input at the community forums to select the top three health priorities to address in the next five years.

With help from partners in the local public health system, the 2018 Boone County Community Health Assessment will be implemented over the next five years as Boone County’s Community Health Improvement Plan, and will serve as a guiding document for community leaders and policymakers in Boone County. For more information, please visit CoMo.gov/health.