(Ithaca, N.Y., July 07, 2022) – What makes a healthy community? The Tompkins County Health Department (TCHD) wants to know what you think about health in our community, in order to develop our community’s next health improvement plan. For this purpose, TCHD, along with Cayuga Health System (CHS) and other local partners, have released a community health survey that is open to every Tompkins County resident aged 18 and older. Rate the health of your community by accessing the survey online at: bit.ly/TCHDsurvey2022. The Community Health Survey will be open throughout July. Anyone who completes the survey can enter themselves into a drawing to win a $20 gift card (county employees not eligible). The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete and is completely anonymous. Registration for the gift card drawing is not connected to survey responses.
TCHD conducted its first community health survey in March 2019 and received over 1,000 completed surveys. The results of the survey were included in both the Community Health Assessment (CHA) and the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) that were completed that year. These reports are available on the TCHD website at: tompkinscountyny.gov/health/communityhealthreports.
“We’re asking all Tompkins County residents to weigh in on what they believe makes a heathy community,” said Frank Kruppa, Tompkins County Public Health Director. “Your responses will help us identify where there are unmet needs for improving both the physical and mental health of our community. We want to learn what’s lacking and potentially holding people back from achieving their optimum health, and the best way to accomplish that is to simply ask.”
“We are always working to improve our services to the community,” said Dr. Martin Stallone, President and CEO of Cayuga Health System. “I urge residents to take this opportunity to provide their feedback. It’s critically important that we have input from a wide diversity of our community.”
The CHA and CHIP are required every three years by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) for every county, many of which conduct a similar survey. The basis for these reports is the NYS Prevention Agenda, a set of five health priorities which serve as the blueprint for state and local action to improve the health and well-being of all New Yorkers and to promote health equity in all populations who experience disparities. Priority Action Plans are further broken out into focus areas, goals, objectives, and evidence-based interventions. The priorities include “Prevent Chronic Disease,” “Promote Well-Being and Prevent Substance Use Disorders,” and “Promote Healthy Women, Infants, and Children.”
The survey questions cover a range of topics, including what makes a healthy community, access to care, food security, physical and mental health, chronic conditions, and COVID-19. The survey takes about ten minutes, and can be completed on any mobile device, desktop or laptop computer, or call 2-1-1 (1-877-211-8667) during regular business hours, Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm, and staff will help callers complete the survey. TCHD’s Community Health Workers will be present throughout the month at our local public libraries and can assist with survey completion as well. Please contact your local library for more information. For paper copies of the survey, call 607-274-6683 during business hours.The Tompkins County Health Department is your partner for a healthy community. Find us online at TompkinsCountyNY.gov/health, and follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/TompkinsPublicHealth and on Twitter at @TompkinsHealth. Sign up to receive COVID-19 updates or other county announcements via email or text.
Media contact: Ted Schiele, tschiele@tompkins-co.org
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