Jackson Community Health Assessment

History and Overview

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Local health information describes a community’s health status, resources, and challenges. It can be used by a range of public and private organizations to allocate resources; develop policies; design, target, and evaluate programs; and understand patterns of health and disease. Such information is often available through assessment programs administered by state and national government agencies. However, smaller counties such as Jackson frequently do not have access to community-specific data through these systems, and must conduct their own assessments to obtain reliable estimates of health status and disease prevalence.

In the past, Jackson County has not had a mechanism in place to collect this detailed information. For this reason, the Health Improvement Organization (HIO) led by Allegiance Health is coordinating a collaborative approach to community health improvement through the use of a community health assessment model. In this model, community stakeholders in health have worked with experts from the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health to develop and complete a community health assessment for Jackson County. This assessment provides a data collection mechanism to align efforts among community partners and create a more strategic framework for activities. Such models have been used in many other communities in Michigan, and throughout the nation, with impressive results.

In implementing a community health assessment model, the HIO and community partners have instituted a survey tool and process which will: 

  • Collect and analyze health information for our county (and subpopulations within our county)
  • Benchmark our health status against other communities, the state, and nation
  • Create a system for disseminating this data to community organizations and residents
  • Prioritize health issues within subpopulations of the community
  • Initiate strategic planning to address these issues through collaborative activities
  • Promote change that improves the health of Jackson County communities
  • Monitor impact of health initiatives on community health outcomes

The survey tool collects unique, in-depth, localized information on health status, disease prevalence, and health behaviors. It will also serve as a source of health data to be integrated into both the Jackson Community Report Card and a future Jackson data repository, which is in the planning stage.

The assessment focuses on health status, disease and screening prevalence, access to care, mental health, health-promoting and health-adverse behaviors, health beliefs and attitudes, and access to healthy environment. It uses census tract sampling so that survey data can be analyzed by zip code, school attendance area, church location, or city ward. Data can also be broken down by age, ethnic group, location, and other variables, to be used for targeted needs assessment, strategic planning, program evaluation, and grant proposals.

The extensive participation and financial commitment of project partners has been vital to this initiative’s success as a true community model. Many local organizations have devoted a great deal of time and energy to this project, and their input has been invaluable. Our project partners include: Allegiance Health, Center for Family Health, Community Action Agency, CMS Energy, DisAbility Connections, Faith Community Nursing, Fitness Council of Jackson, Health Plan of Michigan, Jackson County Administration and Health Department, Jackson County Community Foundation, Jackson Legacy Program, Jackson Public and Intermediate School Districts, Jackson Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, Lifeways, Michigan Prison ReEntry Initiative, the United Way of Jackson and the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

Project funders include: Allegiance Health, the Jackson County Health Department, Jackson County Community Foundation, Lifeways, Allegiance Medical Staff, Health Plan of Michigan, and the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

Download and preview the Community Health Assessment »