The 2024 assessment was sponsored by a coalition that includes Community Health Care, Inc., MercyOne Genesis, Quad City Health Initiative (QCHI), Rock Island County Health Department, Scott County Health Department, Trinity Muscatine Public Health and UnityPoint Health – Trinity.
The Quad Cities community has made progress over the last several years in tackling such health challenges as cancer death rates, fatal accidental overdoses, flu and pneumonia, cardiovascular risk, unemployment and cigarette smoking. But those and other “areas of opportunity” for improving the health of residents in Rock Island, Scott and Muscatine counties still need […]
The Quad Cities community has made progress over the last several years in tackling such health challenges as cancer death rates, fatal accidental overdoses, flu and pneumonia, cardiovascular risk, unemployment and cigarette smoking.But those and other “areas of opportunity” for improving the health of residents in Rock Island, Scott and Muscatine counties still need to be addressed, according to the 2024 update of the Quad Cities Community Health Assessment.Among them are access to health care, cancer, diabetes, disabling conditions, heart disease and stroke, housing, infant health and family planning, injury and violence, mental health, nutrition and weight, oral health, respiratory disease, sexual health, substance use, and tobacco use.The health report card, which was made public on Oct. 31, can be downloaded here. It is a follow-up to similar assessments conducted in 2002, 2007, 2012, 2015, 2018 and 2021. The 2024 assessment was sponsored by a coalition that includes Community Health Care, Inc., MercyOne Genesis, Quad City Health Initiative (QCHI), Rock Island County Health Department, Scott County Health Department, Trinity Muscatine Public Health and UnityPoint Health – Trinity. Funding for the survey – conducted by Professional Research Consultants (PRC) of Omaha, Nebraska – was provided by MercyOne Genesis and UnityPoint Health.Representatives of the health assessment partner organizations are available to answer questions about the survey. Community members also are invited to provide feedback through a survey link on quadcities.healthforecast.net. Organizations and individuals interested in joining community coalition efforts may contact QCHI at (563) 421-2815.The update is designed to track the health status, behaviors and needs of residents in the region and will be used to inform decisions and guide efforts to improve community health and wellness, a coalition news release said. Data sources were telephone and online surveys, area focus groups, and secondary data.
1,150 surveys distributed
The 2024 assessment sample included 1,150 surveys stratified across the service area. Surveys distributed included: 442 in Scott County, 216 in Muscatine County, and 492 in Rock Island County. The process also included an oversampling of area Hispanic and Black residents.As a result of that data-driven approach to determining the health status, behaviors and needs of residents in the Quad Cities area, the coalition says, the assessment will strengthen the community’s understanding of health status and the impact of social conditions on the collective well-being.“Our health is influenced by economic disparities and inequalities where people are born, live, work, play, worship and age,” Brooke Barnes, deputy director of the Scott County Health Department, said in the coalition’s release. “Our challenge is to address the broad community conditions that contribute to poor health in our area by collaborating across sectors.”Added Community Health Care CEO Tom Bowman: “The collaborative community health assessment process and our community coalition work recognizes the important role that all sectors play.”That’s also why the assessment partners worked with such local advocacy groups as the Be Healthy QC Coalition, Quad Cities Behavioral Health Coalition and Access to Care Workgroup, the release said. The Quad Cities Health Forecast sums up the reason community health assessments like this one matter in this way: “How can our community become a better place in which all of us can live, work and play? It begins with an initiative to better understand the health care needs of those living here.”For the Quad Cities 2024 QC health evaluation update, that included taking a look at the health care needs and wants throughout the three-county survey area.
Foundation for improvement
“Our collaborative health assessment process is the foundation for community health improvement,” QCHI Executive Director Nicole Carkner said in the release. “The new report will help us to understand priority health issues based on information provided by community residents and to develop plans that help to address those issues. We invite all organizations in our community to partner with us and advance the health of Quad-Citians.” The regional health assessment effort not only has creates a solid base to build on, it suggests areas for improvement.For example, the 2024 assessment showed improvement across the three-county region in the availability of routine medical care, timely prenatal care and dental insurance coverage. But focus group members in Scott and Rock Island counties said they would like to see the local health care workforce expand, more local health care specialists and more accessible health resources. Respondents also said they want both affordable housing and transportation expansion.In addition, Muscatine County respondents said there is a significant demand for more local specialty providers such as obstetrics, mental health, oncology and dental services. They also want free or affordable wellness program access and a more holistic approach to health care.Additionally, the assessment identified “areas of opportunity” for the three counties.
Areas of interest
“Initial conversations with community stakeholders have affirmed interest in three areas currently featured in the county health improvement plans: mental health; access to health care; and nutrition, physical activity, and weight,” Rock Island County Health Department Administrator George Verástegui said in the release.“We will be working closely with the Community Stakeholder Committees formed in the Quad Cities and in Muscatine to help us determine how we can make an impact,’ added Jennifer Craft, director public health, Trinity Muscatine Public Health.“Since the 2021 assessment, health partners have taken action on these priority health issues,” said Pamela Samuelson, director of business planning and development at UnityPoint Health – Trinity. “We expect this new data will lead to new ideas for programs and community outreach.”
