The Peru Gazette

Health Department wants to assess and update your healthcare needs 

Clinton County – Through the end of February, the Clinton County Health Department (CCHD) and the University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH) are asking residents what they see as the most pressing health concerns in our community. Residents can take part by responding to the survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/CHA2025. 

The survey is one of the first steps in the year-long Community Health Assessment process, which CCHD and UVHN-CVPH undertake every few years. 

“A community health assessment is an opportunity to take a close look at our strengths and weaknesses when it comes to health, to acknowledge the progress we’ve been able to make collectively and to talk about what has prevented change,” stated Mandy Snay, Director of Health Planning & Promotion at CCHD. “The assessment tells our community’s health story while identifying the direction we want to go to make our programs, systems and approaches more accessible, equitable and aligned with residents’ needs.” 

Residents are invited to participate in the process through a community survey. The survey asks residents to weigh in on health challenges for themselves and their families as well as what they see as health issues in the community. “To truly improve the health of our community, it’s important that we receive input from all stakeholders – the residents of our county. This Community Health Assessment will help collect valuable information and insight as we partner with the Clinton County Health Department and other agencies to create a roadmap for a stronger North Country,” added Michelle LeBeau, Alice Hyde Medical Center & CVPH President. 

For the first time in many years, NYSDOH is updating the Prevention Agenda, the State’s health improvement plan, to better align with social determinants of health and common factors like housing, education, and access to care known to affect health outcomes. “This adds new excitement to our process and means resident and partner input is more important than ever as we identify health priorities and develop an improvement plan for the next three years,” added Ms. Snay. 

The anonymous survey takes approximately 5-10 minutes to complete. It is available online and can be completed on a computer, tablet, or phone. Residents can find the link to the survey on the Clinton County Health Department’s social media pages or on the Department’s website at health.clintoncountyny.gov. Paper copies of the survey are also available for those without access to the internet. For more information, please get in touch with CCHD’s Division of Health Planning & Promotion at 518-565-4993. 

CCHD will share the results directly with the community this summer and will use them to help identify health priorities in the 2025 Community Health Improvement Plan.