In the past, when people thought about the quality of health in their community, they associated it with a largely disease-free population and the availability of high tech medical facilities. More recently, however, people have broadened their view of health to incorporate additional elements including a focus on preventing illness, disease, and injury rather than relying primarily on treatment.

Most health professionals now recognize that significant individual and community-wide health improvements can occur only through collaborative relationships between individuals and a wide range of organizations: public health agencies, social service agencies, hospitals, clinics, volunteer programs, business and industry, and grassroots efforts.

Locally, a variety of efforts to build coalitions aimed at community-wide health improvement, like the Community Health Assessment Task Force, have occurred over the past few years. These efforts have emphasized commitment from all partners to place the good of the community above the interests of individual partners. In addition, they have incorporated a much broader definition of health including physical, mental and social well-being.

The CHATF is proud to present this report with the findings from the 1999 Community Health Assessment Survey. The CHATF is hopeful that we can work together to develop a strategy for community health improvement by:

• utilizing the data and information contained within this report

• identifying common health needs that cut across our communities

• working with the broadest possible coalition of community representatives to plan and implement specific strategies designed to enhance the health of our region and its communities and residents; and

• evaluating and documenting the impact of these health improvement strategies. The information presented in this report is only the first step in actively enhancing our county's health and well-being. This is our invitation for you to join us as partners, enhance our collective understanding of our communities and their unique and common health needs and help develop the solutions we can offer together.