County Health Priorities

As part of a “community health improvement plan” (or CHIP), counties are expected to use a community health assessment process to identify important public health problems facing their residents.  These plans are updated every three to five years and are used by county agencies, in collaboration with community partners, to set priorities and allocate resources to address key concerns.  The health care priorities identified by the St. Croix River Valley counties are summarized below.

Minnesota

Chisago County, Health Priorities

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) - Increase awareness of the effects of ACEs by building community capacity and resilience. 

Mental Health - Implement primary prevention strategies to increase mental well-being and physical activity in Chisago County youth. 

Food Security - Chisago County residents have consistent access to enough nutritious food to support an active, healthy life. 

Healthy Weight - Promote healthy lifestyles with a focus on supporting healthy eating and active living throughout Chisago County.

Source:  2019-2023 Community Health Improvement Plan https://www.chisagocounty.us/DocumentCenter/View/13776/Community-Health-Improvement-Plan-2019-2023pdf?bidId= 

Washington County, Health Priorities

Access to Care – Having equitable access to appropriate, convenient and affordable health care.

Access to Factors that Promote Health – Improving the social and environmental conditions that directly and indirectly affect people’s health such as housing, income, employment, education, and more. These factors, also referred to as social determinants of health, disproportionately impact low income communities and communities of color.

Environmental Conditions that Promote and Protect Health – Having a healthy and safe environment that enhances a person’s quality of life. Access to environmental services and amenities can increase health and overall life satisfaction. Environmental conditions that impact health might include:  surface and drinking water, air quality, changing weather conditions, and natural/built infrastructure.

Mental Health and Well-Being – The interconnection between mental illness, mental health, mental well-being, and the associated stigma. Poor mental health is associated with poor quality of life, higher rates of chronic disease, and a shorter lifespan.

Nutrition and Physical Activity – Equitable access to nutrition, physical activity, and food and feeding choices. Poor nutrition and physical inactivity are major contributors to obesity and chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, which disproportionally impact low income communities and communities of color.

Substance Abuse – The excessive use of substances including alcohol, tobacco, prescription drugs, opioids, and other drugs in a manner that is harmful to health and well-being.

Source:  2020-2022 Community Health Improvement Plan Implementation and Evaluation Report
https://www.co.washington.mn.us/DocumentCenter/View/62714/2022-2022-CHIP-Progress-Report

Wisconsin

Burnett County

Alcohol & Drug Abuse – Burnett County’s number one health need is to address Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AODA). AODA means any use of a substance that results in negative consequences. This encompasses a broad array of mood-altering substances that include, but are not limited to, alcohol, prescription medications, and illegal mood-altering substances.
Mental/Behavioral Health – Mental/Behavioral health has been identified as Burnett County’s second health need. Mental/behavioral health is a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.
Tobacco Use & Exposure – Tobacco use and exposure is Burnett County’s third health need to be addressed. Eliminating tobacco use and exposure means improving health by preventing tobacco abuse, promoting tobacco dependence treatment, protecting all people from exposure to secondhand smoke, and identifying and eliminating tobacco-related disparities.
Source:  Healthy Burnett https://healthyburnett.org/ 

Pierce County

Mental Health – Increase awareness about mental health issues, reduce the stigma of mental illness, and Increase access to mental health services.

Overweight/Obesity – Increase physical activity through changes to policy, systems, environment, and community support and decrease food insecurity and improve nutrition through changes to policy, systems, environment and community support. 

Alcohol Abuse – Advocate for policies that increase access to substance use treatment;  Increase early intervention, education and prevention services related to substance use in the community; Increase coordinated youth prevention work, providing education, healthy activities, and resilience training.

Note:  Pierce and St. Croix Counties have coordinated their Community Health Improvement Plans and have the same priorities
Source:  2020-2022 Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP).  https://co.pierce.wi.us/Public%20Health/PDF/Publications_Data/2019%20Annual%20Report%20-%20Final.pdf 

Polk County

Mental Health – Our emotional, psychological, and social well-being, and how it relates to our ability to cope with the normal stresses of life. Poor mental health (aka mental illness) manifests itself in poor quality of life, higher rates of chronic disease, and shorter life span.  The County has a specific goal of decreasing the number of people that have done nothing to address their thoughts of suicide in the last 12 months from 14% to 12% as measured by the CHA Survey.

Substance Use – The harmful use of chemicals, including psychoactive drugs, alcohol, prescription medications, and huffing. Substance abuse can lead to dependence syndrome (a negative behavioral, cognitive and physiological phenomena) and social decline.  The County has two specific goals:  1) reduce binge drinking from 25% to 23% 'in the last month' as measured by the CHA Survey and 2) reduce the percent of individuals or families negatively impacted by meth use from 14.9% to 12% as measured by the CHA Survey.

Nutrition and Physical Activity - Good nutrition is the intake of food that positively addresses the body’s dietary needs. Physical activity helps keep the body in good physical condition. Poor nutrition and physical inactivity produce overall poor health and are major contributors to obesity and chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke.  The County has two specific goals:  1) increase the consumption of fruit and vegetable servings of three or more per day from 37% to 40% as measured by the CHA Survey and 2) increase physical activity to 150 minutes per week to 45% as measured by the CHA Survey.

Source:  2020 Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP).  http://www.polkcountyhealthdept.org/reports/community-health-improvement-plan/ 

St. Croix County

Mental Health – Increase awareness about mental health issues, reduce the stigma of mental illness, and Increase access to mental health services.

Overweight/Obesity – Increase physical activity through changes to policy, systems, environment, and community support and decrease food insecurity and improve nutrition through changes to policy, systems, environment, and community support. 

Alcohol Abuse – Advocate for policies that increase access to substance use treatment;  Increase early intervention, education and prevention services related to substance use in the community; Increase coordinated youth prevention work, providing education, healthy activities, and resilience training.

Note:  Pierce and St. Croix Counties have coordinated their Community Health Improvement Plans and have the same priorities
Source:  2020 Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP).  https://www.sccwi.gov/189/Community-Health-Improvement