Breanna Reeves |
The San Bernardino County Department of Public Health is asking residents for their input on health concerns in the community as part of a joint initiative with Community Vital Signs. Residents will be able to communicate what concerns they have regarding health access and equity in their community.
Residents can complete the survey here. Although the survey is anonymous, it does ask questions about basic demographic information such as age or race/ethnicity in order to “understand the different experiences in the various communities in our county.” The survey focuses on topics such as how residents feel about their quality of life in the region and asks about their experiences with the effects of health inequities.
“We want to hear from county residents to learn about the issues affecting their health and their community. Completing the survey will provide data to accurately understand patterns in health inequities and strategies to improve them,” said County Health Officer Dr. Michael Sequeira in a press release. “Our collective goal is to support all efforts that help residents live a long healthy life.”
The last community health assessment survey was published in 2020 and highlighted health trends in San Bernardino County between 2015 and 2019. According to the “2020 San Bernardino County: Our Community Vital Signs Health Status Data Report,” the top community health concern was mental health. Survey participants voiced that throughout San Bernardino County there were “not enough mental health crisis centers and convenient hours.”
When survey is completed
After the survey closes and the data is analyzed, results will be shared with the community to discuss which health issues should be prioritized and to identify ways to address those issues. Once the Community Vital Signs Report is completed, a Community Transformation Plan will be created in response to the needs identified in the assessment.
“We hope that we hear from a broad range of voices, especially residents who are often underserved, underrepresented, have poorer health and were disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Diana Fox, co-chair of the Community Vital Signs Steering Committee, said.