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Cancer, suicide death rates higher overall in Red Willow
The director of the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department told Red Willow County commissioners Monday morning that their county has a higher arrest rate and higher cancer death rate than overall rates for Nebraska.
Red Willow County's suicide rate is more than double the state rate, and three times higher than the state's target rate for 2010.
About 20 percent of the county's expectant mothers are still smoking, which compares to 14 percent of women across the state who smoke while pregnant.
The heart disease death rate and the diabetes-related death rate in Red Willow County are lower than the state's, as is the motor vehicle death rate.
These statistics on Red Willow County, along with many others provided to commissioners, come from the state, said Myra Stoney, director of the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department. She is using this information -- demographics, social indicators, health status, maternal and child health and well-being, risk factor prevalence, environmental data, availability of service and service utilization data -- to help the counties within the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department (SWNPHD) area determine their priorities and concerns.
SWNPHD covers Chase, Dundy, Hayes, Hitchcock, Frontier, Furnas, Perkins and Red Willow.
"If Dundy County has a smoking cessation program, do we need to provide it there?" Stoney asked commissioners. No, but the SWNPHD can supplement the Dundy County program if it needs help, she said.
Working with partners such as city and county health departments, hospitals, clinics, fire departments and law enforcement, SWNPHD does not want to duplicate services already available, but will supplement programs and/or offer its organizational skills, Stoney said.
To determine health needs in its eight counties, SWNPHD is utilizing a system called "MAPP" -- Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships -- to assess whether the "10 essential public health services" are available within each county:
| 1. | Monitor health status to identify community health problems. |
| 2. | Diagnose and investigate health problems and health hazards. |
| 3. | Inform, educate and empower people about health issues. |
| 4. | Mobilize community partnerships to identify and solve health problems. |
| 5. | Develop policies and plans and manage programs that support individual and community health efforts. |
| 6. | Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety. |
| 7. | Link people to needed personal health services and assure the provision of health care when otherwise unavailable. |
| 8. | Assure a competent public health and personal health care force. |
| 9. | Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility and quality of personal and population-based health services. |
| 10. | Research new insights and innovative solutions to health problems. |
Stoney asked commissioners to fill out a survey that asked them the three most important factors for a "healthy community," the three most important health problems and the three most important risky behaviors in Red Willow County. It asked them to rate Red Willow County in emergency management response readiness and as a healthy community.
It also asked how the SWNPHD can help Red Willow County in meeting public health needs.
Stoney said she is meeting with the commissioners of each county, and will report the results of her survey in an annual report to commissioners.
The mission of the SWNPHD is, in partnership with other entities, to promote a healthy and secure quality of life for its communities.
SWNPHD is funded with grants and with federal tobacco settlement money.
Staff members include Stoney; Mark Graf, emergency response coordinator; Beverly Powers, public health nurse; Helena T. Janousek, volunteer coordinator; and Janet Brenning, bookkeeper.
The SWNPHD department is located in downtown McCook, in the Temple Building at 322 Norris, in Suite 8. The phone number is (308) 345-4223; toll-free (888) 345-4223; or by fax, (308) 345-4289. The e-mail address is: info@swhealthdept.com
In other action:
Red Willow County jail task force chairman Reuben Hoff Jr. told commissioners he will visit with City of McCook officials to determine a meeting time for the city-county public safety center committee charged with continuing the research into the proposed joint safety center.
One of the first agenda items for the new committee should be discussion of a bonding agent, Hoff said. Commission Chairman Earl McNutt said it would simplify things if the city uses the same bonding agent, Kirkpatrick Pettis, that the county is using, but that decision is up to the city.
Another big issue, Hoff said, will be to investigate possible locations again.
McNutt said he wants the process to keep moving along well. "Realistically, we've got three to four months to get things ironed out before educating the public before an election," in November.
Hoff said written reports on the county's jail needs and assessment studies are available at the McCook Public Library and on line at http:://www.co.red-willow.ne.us
The same reports will be available next week at the Indianola and Bartley libraries and in the city offices in Lebanon and Danbury.