Putnam Council Begins Assessment

The Putnam County Health Council performing its community assessment, considering health priorities within the county.

Putnam County Health Council Chair Bethany Pack said the council includes citizens who strive to improve the health and safety of the county. Pack said the assessment allows the public to have a voice.

“The council does this every three years,” Pack said. “We want to do a thorough assessment to see if our community’s needs have changed and what we can do to be most useful to Putnam County.”

The council collects data, allows community members to vote on a focus, and then puts a plan in place to assist with resolving the concerns. Pack said the council is looking to grow its impact within the county by reaching more health care groups.

“We are trying to get the word out because we do want our focus as a health council to shift and increase our presence, voice, and action in the community,” Pack said. “Hopefully, we will get the word out there even more.”

The council focused previously on youth smoking, tobacco use, and obesity.

“Our council is in the beginning stage of this assessment and improvement process,” Pack said. “We have not determined our priorities at this time to see if those have changed from the community member’s standpoint. I do believe that the data suggest that maybe we do need some change.”