Putnam County Community Health Survey Asks Residents: How Healthy Are We?

BREWSTER, N.Y.—The 2024 Community Health Survey is now open for Putnam residents to provide input on the county's state of health and the factors contributing to health. This anonymous survey is a key component of Putnam’s comprehensive community health assessment and is being conducted by Nuvance Health in collaboration with the Putnam County Department of Health. It can be taken by adults in English, Spanish, Portuguese, or Haitian Creole, and is available online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6JDJ6JH .

Residents are encouraged to participate so that results will reflect the broadest and most representative data on the health and well-being of Putnam residents. Completing it takes less than ten minutes.

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“Year after year, Putnam Couty has been one of the healthiest counties in the state in part because of the input residents provided in the past,” said County Executive Kevin Byrne. “The input gathered from Putnam residents will help guide the work of our health department, Putnam Hospital /Nuvance Health, other area hospitals, and Putnam community health partner organizations in the coming years. We want to encourage everyone to take this opportunity to help provide a complete picture of Putnam’s health and challenges.”

Mark Hirko, MD, president of Putnam Hospital, Nuvance Health, said his organization is "excited to collaborate with Putnam County on the 2024 Community Health Survey."

"This partnership is vital in understanding and addressing the health needs of our community, Hirko said. "By working together, we can gather valuable insights from local organizations and residents to create effective Community Health Improvement Plans. We encourage everyone to participate in this important survey to help us build a healthier future for all.”

Interim Health Commissioner Michael J. Nesheiwat, MD, said the survey data will be more effective if a large number or residents respond.

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“We want to hear from all of our Putnam residents," Nesheiwat said. "Your responses help us understand how different aspects of Putnam life contribute to your health—including things like access to nutritional foods, transportation, and health care.

"Health-related programs and interventions must be periodically re-assessed to ensure they are meeting the changing needs of our residents," he added. "The data from this survey helps us to do that.”

Health department epidemiologist Alison Kaufman, DVM, MPH, spotlighted another important consideration regarding the survey.

“The results of this survey will be an important part of the comprehensive community health assessment, or ‘CHA’ for short, that we prepare every three years for the New York State Department of Health," Kaufman said. "Analyzing primary data collected directly from our residents alongside secondary data compiled from federal, state, and regional resources provides us with a more complete description of county health. This community health survey will contribute to the next CHA and will help inform our next community health improvement plan or ‘CHIP.’ The more participation we have in the survey, the better position we are in to practice evidence-based health program planning.”

The mission of the Putnam County Department of Health is to improve and protect the health of the Putnam County community. The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) through 2029, serves a community composed of nearly 100,000 residents. Core services are provided through a lens of equity, and include community health assessment, disease surveillance and control, emergency preparedness, environmental health protection, family health promotion and health education.

For more information, visit the county website at www.putnamcountyny.com , or visit the health departmen's social media sites on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), and Instagram @PutnamHealthNY.

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