COLUMBUS, Ind. – Columbus Regional Health (CRH) has released the latest report of the Community Health Needs Assessment, which was conducted earlier this year by telephone and online between March and May 2024.
Anonymous responses to the every three-year survey were collected and organized into a comprehensive report that outlines the current state of mental, physical, and behavioral health in the areas served by the hospital.
This year’s survey of 1,058 responses exceeded the goal of 1,000. It’s the highest response rate in the survey’s history.
Information gathered in this survey helps CRH identify and address the region’s most critical community health issues. The survey was conducted by an independent, national organization called Professional Research Consultants (PRC).
The Community Health Needs Assessment has been conducted triennially since 1996. It is a systematic, data-driven approach to determining the health status, behaviors, and needs of residents in the service area of Columbus Regional Health.
The information gathered will be used to inform decisions and guide efforts by CRH and CRH’s Healthy Communities Initiative to improve community health and wellness, ensure adequate and equitable access to health services, and develop the 2026-28 community health strategy.
Some of the positive results and trends include:
- Barriers to Access Prevented Medical Care – levels are lower than in the U.S. but have increased (currently 41.2% compared to 52.5% for the U.S.)
- A low number of respondents reported a lack of health insurance coverage – 5.9% compared to 8.8% for Indiana and 8.1% for the U.S.
- Good breast cancer screening rates – 86.2% of women 50-74 have been screened (compared to 64% in the U.S. and 78.1% in Indiana)
- Increase in physically active children (1-4 hours per day) – went from 42.8% in 2021 to 51.5% in 2024 – it is 27.4% nationally
Areas that indicate opportunities for improvement are:
- Obesity has increased in every survey since 1996. It is now at 46.1% (up from 42.7% in 2021).
- Mental health continues to show room for improvement
- Low number of mental health providers compared to state and U.S.
- High rate of depression
- High number of suicide deaths
- Substance use continues to show room for improvement
- Excessive drinking has decreased
- Unintentional drug-induced deaths have decreased, but still high
- A high percentage say life has been negatively affected by substance use
PRC has presented the survey results to the Healthy Communities Council (a coalition of community and business leaders who work together to guide local health strategy) and CRH Leadership.
For more information visit: https://www.crh.org/community-foundation/healthy-communities
