Community Health Assessment: What can the community do?

The Buffalo Trace District Health Department held a Community Health Assessment recently.

BTDHD Director Victor McKay opened the event by highlighting a recent accomplishment for the health department.

According to McKay, BTDHD received a national public health accreditation. He said the health department is one of 300 that received that status.

“That’s a big deal folks, especially for a little ol’ county like Mason County,” McKay said. “I’m very proud to work with accomplished staff, our community and our public health servants through the Mason County Health Coalition.”

He noted some of the health department’s biggest supporters, including the Maysville and Mason County governments.

“As the city, our greatest asset is our people. That’s what makes Maysville a great place to live, work and play,” Maysville Mayor Debra Cotterill said. “The important information that’s being shared here today is important on many levels and from several perspectives.”

She continued, “This assessment informs decisions about healthy environments, physical activity opportunities and critical needs for the city’s resources. Having this vital data also helps with our city strategic plan, where we take an even closer look at healthy living investments and quality of life solutions for our citizens.”

Mason County Judge-Executive Owen McNeill spoke to attendees immediately after Cotterill. He asked the community to think back five years ago before Mason County had several projects that recently came to light.

He noted the upcoming addition of a Primary Plus medical building in downtown Maysville.

“Rarely, we citizens think about the services that are available in the community until we need them. I hope that that highlights the importance of today,” McNeill said.

Allison Adams, a representative of BTDHD, approached the podium following McNeill’s statements. She addressed some housekeeping items, including a program that polled attendees on several aspects of Maysville/Mason County.

According to Adams, there has been success in the substance use disorder category in recent years. BTDHD has been able to provide Narcan, opportunities for walking and learning and has been diligently working to reduce stigma in the area.

Several representatives of area organizations spoke on how they are involved in the health of the community.

Justin Suttles spoke to attendees regarding some aspects of Kentucky Career Center.

According to Suttles, KCC sets goals and helps people in the area search for jobs, prepare for interviews and take assessments to determine an applicant’s interests.

One aspect of KCC is working with employers to find out their needs and if they need people or training for employees. Suttles noted the organization works with resources found in the community.

Rebecca Cartmell represented Community Care of Mason County following Suttles’ address.

According to Cartmell, the CCMC runs the only weekly food pantry in Mason County. They provide food, utility assistance, urgent shelter needs, rent assistance and other resources.

She explained urgent shelter needs include a night in a hotel for someone in need of getting to the “next step.” Rent assistance is offered for those going from the “street” to an apartment, Cartmell added.

Currently, Mason County has a food insecurity rate of 16.7 percent, which is 0.8 percent higher than the state average.

She explained that food insecurity is defined by the United States Department of Agriculture as a lack of access to enough food for a healthy and active lifestyle.

Cartmell listed the percentage for surrounding counties for comparison. Bracken County’s percentage is 15.7, Fleming’s is 18.1, Lewis’ is 21.2 and Robertson’s is 14.1, she said.

“Rural areas typically do have higher food insecurity rate,” Cartmell said. “What I will tell you is that there is a lot of access to food in Mason County. I’m not sure why our rate is as high as it is. I have at least eight locations or agencies that give out food at least once a month, so once a week you can go get free food somewhere in Mason County.”

She listed several food pantries and blessing boxes in the area.

Park Coordinator Grant Felice spoke briefly about Cummins Nature Preserve.

According to Felice, CNP allows people to exercise and learn about nature. He noted the mental stimulation, emotional healing and activities offered at the preserve.

“It’s a great place to go unwind,” Felice said.

Felice noted some programs used to identify plants and birds at the preserve.

Adams returned to share more statistics for the area. According to Adams, adult smoking is currently at 25 percent. She recognized some goals of BTDHD, including addressing housing issues and poverty.

CEO of Meadowview Regional Medical Center Joe Koch shared some information about MRMC.

According to Koch, the hospital focuses on the patient, including their stay, medications and relationships with their primary care physician. He shared statistics from 2023.

The top three reasons for admissions in 2023 were related to sepsis, heart failure and respiratory failure.

Readmissions were often related to Acute Myocardial Infarction, Congestive Heart Failure, Pneumonia and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Koch said.

He said 6.1 percent of patients in 2023 were uninsured.

CEO of Comprehend Inc. Melissa Greenwell shared insurance statistics for Mason County in 2023.

According to Greenwell, 18 percent of clients had commercial insurance, 60 percent had Medicaid, four percent had Medicare, nine percent were self-paid, and nine percent were covered through other means, such as a court order.

Children’s coverage in 2023 was 15 percent with commercial, 71 percent with Medicaid, and nine percent self-paid.

Greenwell noted the effects of economic challenges in the area.

“With the largest percentage of our clients being on Medicaid, that speaks to those that fall into those lower financial thresholds that are seeking services, which I think also speaks to the fact that there’s a stigma associated with getting help,” Greenwell said.

MPD Assistant Police Chief Chris Conley spoke briefly regarding the department’s reports.

According to Conley, there were a total of 22,399 calls for service involving fire and ems. He said there were 4,907 reports for law enforcement.

There were 633 motor vehicle reports for various reasons, including intoxication and being distracted by a cell phone.

To conclude the event, McKay shared some committees in need of volunteers to help with community needs assessments.

“We need people from the community to step up,” McKay said.

According to McKay, the committees in need are health behaviors, substance use disorders, food/health/nutrition, access to healthcare work group and social supports/mental health.

If anybody in the community is interested in volunteering for these committees, they can call the health department and speak with Bridget Lykins, Emma Cole or Phyllis Reed, McKay said.

He noted they would be “more than happy” to assign community members to one of the committees.