Prepared every five years is a report on the health of people in McHenry County.

From survey research data and that derived from focus groups, priorities are established to target in the near future.

A presentation was made to the County Board with the images you see below.

Here is what is on the Health Department’s web page:

Community Health Assessment 

The “health” of a community extends far beyond the traditional view focused on select health measures and availability of medical resources.  

Rather, a healthy community encompasses a broad range of community characteristics that define the ingredients of a healthy place to live.  

With this vision in mind, every four years a Community Health Assessment is conducted with the intent to understand and address the county’s most pressing needs, involving partners from diverse organizations, in order to improve the health of County residents. 

A thorough understanding of the County’s health was measured using three or more assessments – each from a different perspective including residents, populations in need of services, community leaders, and descriptors using secondary data sources.  

Through the assessments, knowledge was gained about the current health status of county residents, demographic trends, social and economic indicators, health behaviors, and utilization of health services. The assessments also attempted to understand the perceptions of community strengths and weaknesses as well as answer questions about the health and human services delivery system, unmet needs, gaps, and barriers to care.

The top four are

• Behavioral Health
• Obesity/Active Living
• Diabetes
• Access to Care