Hancock community Health Plan released

FINDLAY — Be Healthy Now Hancock County has released the 2026-2028 Hancock County Community Health Improvement Plan, which identifies three priority areas: behavioral health and substance use, social determinants and built environment, and chronic disease and healthy lifestyle. The Be Healthy Now coalition developed the written plan after a series of surveys and focus groups with the community. Zach Thomas, director of wellness and education for the Hancock County Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services, said the coalition hired a different contractor this time, and combined electronic surveys with in-person focus groups. Previously, surveys had been conducted through pen and paper. Hancock County Health Commissioner Lindsay Summit said this new process also allowed the coalition to survey a more diverse group. "The goals of public health can only be accomplished through community members' commitment to themselves and to each other," Summit wrote in the introduction to the plan. "BHNHC believes that together, Hancock County can be a thriving community of health and well-being at home, work, school, and play." The objective the group identified for mental health and substance use is: "to increase access to and improve service of behavioral health and substance use services in Hancock County by strengthening the workforce, expanding care transitions, enhancing access to acute care services, enhancing community engagement, and bolstering existing harm reduction and substance use awareness methodology." In the surveys and focus groups, 36% of respondents said community mental health care access was lacking and 64% reported substance use as a top concern. Thomas said that the CHIP as a whole, and in particular the mental health aspects, focus around "building relationships and creating connections." He said part of the process is helping people understand they have the ability to help others. One goal is continuing to build the behavioral health workforce, ensuring that people feel supported to reduce the risk of burnout. Thomas said this ties to the housing issue, as it can be hard to attract professionals in mental health or other healthcare fields if they cannot find a place to live in Findlay. Working to strengthen the mental health of youth in our community, including working with schools, is also among the priorities. "We are seeing more and more of our younger kids experiencing more acute social and emotional disturbances," Thomas said. They are also seeing people who are using multiple substances. Overdose fatality numbers are down, but the rate of suicide is rising, Thomas said. The objective for social determinants and the built environment is: "To improve the understanding and accessibility of health care, reduce barriers and improve policies by implementing a universalized process of collecting data on Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) across all organizations." Social determinants of health are conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age that shape their health, including socioeconomic status, housing, education and social connections with others. In surveys, 69% of respondents reported affordable housing was lacking and 39% reported transportation was lacking. "Until you have a place, a safe place to be, you can't think about anything else," Thomas said. That is, people are not going to be able to focus on making any other improvements to their health if they do not have safe housing. And, if a person is spending a large percentage of their income on rent, that means less money for health care and nutritious food. William Kose, MD, vice president of special projects for Blanchard Valley Health System and medical director for Hancock Public Health, added that housing issues can also increase the risk of infections if the housing is unsafe or has pests, or if finances mean the person doesn't keep their home warm enough. "Housing permeates every single thing that we do," Thomas said. Kose said the coalition is working to collect more data. They know that social determinants of health, such as poverty, housing and transportation, play a role in people's health, but they want more specific information about how. For chronic disease and healthy lifestyle, the objective is: "To reduce the prevalence of chronic diseases by promoting connection to wellness providers and healthier lives through targeted interventions, prevention culture and resource support." Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Hancock County, and 24% rated it as a top concern, while 33% rated diabetes as a top concern. And 31% of respondents said affordable food is lacking in the community, while 27% rated access to healthy food as a top concern. To improve prevention and wellness, "our overriding goal is to connect someone to primary care," Kose said. Primary care then, in turn, connects community members to other parts of the system. When looking at chronic disease, one priority was encouraging people to take care of themselves, including "knowing their numbers". They also want to better ensure that people get mammograms on schedule, as well as colon and lung cancer screening. Kose said it also became clear as they worked on the assessment that more individuals in the community are receiving diagnoses of dementia or Parkinson's disease. These illnesses, too, are affected by social determinants of health, Kose said. He added that they bring up other complex issues, including not only how the person receiving the diagnosis copes with it, but how insurers pay for their care, and the needs of caregivers who will require relief. The coalition also recognized challenges in access to dental care, particularly for children and anyone on Medicaid. Summit said they also want to ensure people have access to a community garden, both for the chance to grow nutritious food and because it can benefit mental health. The coalition repeats this process every three years. Sometimes the conversations are similar to the time before, and sometimes other issues crop up. This time around, "what's happening in the government became a really big issue," Kose said. That is, many programs have seen funding cuts, and it may be harder for local nonprofit organizations to obtain grant funding to address some of the issues recognized in the plan. "We're really concerned about Medicaid," Kose added, explaining that if people lose their insurance or are having trouble finding a provider who takes Medicaid they may put off routine care and cancer screenings, meaning they will be sicker when the cancer or other health issue is diagnosed. Thomas said they also recognized that, in past years, sometimes community leaders would create this plan and then "everybody kind of goes back into their silos." So they have built into this year's plan tools intended to ensure everyone stays engaged in the process. The coalition will meet regularly and will post updates on the Hancock Public Health website. Summit said the goal is not only to hold one another accountable but make the information accessible to the public. "Hopefully we do get more participation from the community and they get a better understanding as to why we do this," she said.