- 13% of Windham County adolescents have made a suicide plan in the past year,
- 15% of Windham County teens have used tobacco in the past 30 days,
- 25% of Windham County adults are obese.
- The number one health concern of Windham County residents who were recently surveyed is “Healthy Aging” (for themselves) and “Drug Misuse or Substance Abuse” (for their neighbors). Their number one barrier to good health is that they’re “too busy to exercise.”
These findings and many more can be viewed in the 2018 Community Health Needs Assessment, posted on Grace Cottage Family Health & Hospital’s website.
Gathering information for the county-wide Community Health Needs Assessment was an extensive, collaborative project of Grace Cottage Family Health & Hospital, Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, the Brattleboro Retreat, and the Brattleboro office of the Vermont Department of Health. The information was derived from a number of sources including: a county-wide survey of adult residents; surveys of social service agencies serving Windham County; and recent demographic, economic, and Population Health data. Grace Cottage’s report also includes input from its healthcare providers.
Based on an analysis of information collected, Grace Cottage’s medical executive and leadership team identified the following significant health needs within its service area: Diabetes/Obesity/Weight Management; Mental Health (Stress, Anxiety, Depression); Substance Abuse; Healthy Aging; Dental Health; Smoking/Tobacco Use; Heart Disease (Hypertension, High Cholesterol).
The Grace Cottage Community Health Needs Report contains survey results from 1,257 respondents. It also provides the most current, comprehensive regional Population Health data on issues such as access to insurance, substance use, depression rates, cancer rates, and much more. In many cases, results are provided separated by categories such as age, income, gender and/or town of residence.
The 2018 Grace Cottage CHNA can be viewed at www.gracecottage.org or at the Townshend Library. For more information, call 802-365-9109.
