Having the 1999 Community Health Survey as a tool, key leaders, elected officials, hospitals, health planners and administrators are better equipped to develop new programs, set policy, advocate for or introduce legislation, and allocate resources based on the health needs of Santa Barbara County residents. Never before in the County has there been such a comprehensive, countywide body of evidence based on scientific data about health needs, health and risk factor status, lifestyle practices and access to health care.

The bright spots, or areas about which we can be proud include:

• low smoking rates among adults

• high rates of seat belt use

• high rates of preventive screenings, especially for blood pressure and mammograms

The opportunities for improvement include:

• increasing access to health insurance, especially in the Hispanic and low income populations

• increasing access to dental care services

• improving nutrition and physical fitness status

• decreasing obesity of both children and adults

• decreasing alcohol and drug use

The Community Health Assessment Task Force sponsored health forums that were designed to get input from health professionals and other community members. At these forums, participants identified significant health needs and how to go about solving some of the problems. Interestingly enough, the Community Health Survey which reflects perceived health status and needs of a random sampling of the community, closely correlates with the perceptions of health professionals that attended these forums. The areas of need identified by health providers included:

Health care
access
Dental care Health insurance
Lifestyle practices/ health education
Mental health counseling

The input collected at these forums was based on the experience of health providers. We now can verify and support these conclusions based on the findings of the survey of our county's residents. It is incumbent upon the community and its health providers to address these problems and to advance a health agenda that is responsive to these needs.

What Now?

Groundwork has begun to fill the gaps in services and mobilize the community for action. For instance, in Santa Barbara, there is a low-cost dental clinic that serves children and families who have no resources. This effort needs to expand in order to meet the identified needs.

New state and federal programs have recently begun to outreach to families to improve health status and access to health insurance: the Medi-Cal Outreach Program, the Children and Families Commission (Prop 10 funds), the Attorney General Tobacco Settlement, and the Healthy Families Program. The need for prevention, outreach, and educational services cannot be emphasized enough. Quality services do exist, however many people are unaware of what is available, or don't access the services because they are not culturally appropriate. We continue to seek effective channels for communicating with the varied cultures with which we work.

The City of Guadalupe has been awarded Healthy Cities and Communities funding for three years to supplement this assessment process by doing face-to-face interviews and focus groups with farm worker families. The first year will focus on planning and the next two years will focus on addressing the problems and gaps in services to the city of Guadalupe.

At the 1999 Healthier Community Forums held in November in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria, the following areas of interest were identified. They included:

Access to health care
Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs
Dental care
Environmental concerns
Fitness and Nutrition
Injury prevention
Mental health

Preliminary action planning has begun. At the forums, action groups were formed and most groups have suggested establishing work groups, task forces, coalitions, or subcommittees of existing organizations that focus on specific areas. Each group has recognized the importance of involving a variety of participants and identifying community resources that can further the cause. They have also suggested taking a multifaceted approach to dealing with the health problems. The community must:

• Plan and coordinate with other agencies and resources.

• Develop prevention approaches: increase awareness through age and culturally appropriate education and outreach through schools, media, churches, and community groups.

• Develop early detection and intervention strategies.

• Improve access to care or treatment options (clinic location, hours of service, affordability).

• Get involved in political action and advocacy.

• Raise financial and emotional support.

• Market the cause.

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If you have any interest in being a part of a movement which is aimed at improving the health status of our community, call someone on the Community Health Assessment Task Force, or Jayne Brechwald MPH
Santa Barbara County Public Health Department
300 North San Antonio Rd.
Santa Barbara, CA 93110
(805) 681-5365

The findings highlighted in this report are a subset of the total survey findings. If you would like to find out about other survey findings, please call the Public Health Department at the number listed above.