2015 health assessment meeting planned

VW independent/submitted information

The Van Wert County Health Collaborative recently completed the fifth Van Wert County Health Needs Assessment and invites the public to attend a discussion on the health of the community at 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday, April 27, at Vantage Career Center.

The community health assessment was conducted to collect data to show health and health behaviors of Van Wert County youths and adults and then identify health needs.

Britney Ward, director of community health improvement for the Hospital Council of Northwest Ohio, will present findings of the 2015 Van Wert County Community Health Needs Assessment, and will highlight key findings from the surveys, such as:

• 1 in 6 teens in Van Wert County has had at least one alcoholic drink in the past 30 days,
• In the past year, there were 50 drug overdoses in the community
• 72 percent of Van Wert County adults are classified as overweight or obese.

A panel of experts will also attend the event to discuss what these numbers mean for Van Wert.

The Van Wert County Health Collaborative hopes that area educators, parents, county officials and others interested in the health of Van Wert will join together to talk about the major health needs of Van Wert County.

Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. for the event, which will take place in the community room of Vantage Career Center.