Local community health assessments continue with pop-up events – WEAU

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) – Every three years, Eau Claire, Chippewa, and Dunn Counties conduct a community health assessment, which covers anything from drug abuse to cancer.

“The goal of the assessment is to learn the top health needs of the community identified by the community,” said Courtney Sperber, Policy and Systems Division Manager of the Eau Claire City-County Health Department.

Leading these assessment’s are health departments and health care systems from each of the counties.

“The first opportunity to hear from committee members about what they thought the top health issues are, was the community survey and that ran this past summer. The second step in the assessment is looking at the data that already exist in our community. So we have data from hospitals, we have data from schools and health care associations.”

The health department then brings the community back into the conversation.

According to the Eau Claire City-County Health Department, there are four parts to this assessment.

“We take the results of the survey and that secondary data and share back out, and again get an opportunity from the community here. Then the fourth and final step is working with community coalitions that will be working on these top areas to hear from them what they think is feasible and doable in the next three years.”

During the 2023 summer surveys. Some concerns were addressed more than the others.

“So for all the counties, we saw a lot of feedback around affordable housing, made it into the top five for all three counties, substance misuse, mental health were in those those top highs, and alcohol misuse. And I think while there were 24 areas that people could vote on, those top five were really clear.”

To get a more diverse group of people to help with these assessments…There will be pop-up events throughout the city of eau claire starting this week.

“Trying to grab all different audiences throughout those three communities. To hear from community members about what they want to work on over the next three years because we can’t do this alone.”

The first pop-up event will be on Wednesday, December 20th from 11:30 am to 1 p.m. at the Community Table.

There are also 2 more set in January:

-January 2nd, from 6 to 8PM, Hobbs (North vs. Memorial Hockey Game)

-January 4th, from 2 to 4PM, Woodmans Food Market

They also have virtual surveys you can find here.

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