A survey highlighted these health issues as the biggest in Vanderburgh, Warrick counties

Gordon Engelhardt
Evansville Courier & Press

Dr. James Porter referred to the popular expression “it takes a village” in describing the collaboration of area medical officials in meeting community health needs.

“I stole that from someone, I’m not exactly sure,” said Porter, president of the Physicians Division of Deaconess Health System. "I think Hillary Clinton wrote a book title at one point (“It Takes A Village: And Other Lessons Children Teach Us).”

Porter was among several speakers addressing area health issues at the 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) news conference on Wednesday at Evansville's Central Library.

“No one organization or entity in the community can impact these different priorities (by themselves),” he said.

Mental health and substance abuse are the top two health problems in Vanderburgh County, said Doug Berry of the Diehl Consulting Group. Exercise, weight and nutrition (including food insecurity and healthy lifestyle) and maternal and child health are other major issues.

In Warrick County, the top priorities are behavioral health, exercise, weight and nutrition, and access to care (specifically transportation).

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Conducted every three years in accordance with the Affordable Care Act, CHNA is a federally required assessment for non-profit hospitals that identifies recurring causes of poor health, then focuses resources to support and drive positive change. Hospitals conduct a CHNA to identify and prioritize community health needs.

The local assessment has been consistent in regards to mental health and some form of obesity, Porter said.

“The new one is transportation, in Warrick County,” he said. “It’s more of a rural area, particularly an older population. Hopefully, we know what our priorities are, what we need to work on.”

Porter said progress is being made.

“The pandemic was a significant disrupter,” he said. “Everything else we were doing (was sidelined) because of COVID. This is a new sort of era.”

He said officials have been able to re-focus on other areas as COVID has receded somewhat. Porter is part of a local group reviewing ongoing initiatives and 2022-25 implementation strategies.

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“We’re getting our traction back,” he said. “There has been a lot of collaboration across the region, addressing change.”

Lynn Herr, director of the Clinical and Outreach Division of the Vanderburgh County Health Department, said the infant mortality rate was eight per 1,000 overall, and 24 per 1,000 among Black infants.

Porter said Herr highlighted one of the priorities regarding infant mortality rate around sleeping practices: "What is and isn’t safe. We’ve made some real progress.”

Deaconess has launched clinics regarding this matter, Porter said. There has been cooperation among various entities to find ways to better serve the area communities.

“Through the pandemic we did an incredible job of collaborating,” Porter said. “Funding these types of services is challenging everywhere.”

The 2022 CHNA implementation plan was based on various sources, including the 2021 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, Indiana State Department of Health, U.S. Census and Welborn Baptist Foundation, 2021 Greater Evansville Health Survey and other local data sources provided by community partners.

Numbers to know

  • 93 percent of respondents reported their mental health had gotten worse since 2018.
  • Anxiety rates were 24 percent in Vanderburgh, 19 percent in Warrick.
  • Depression rate was 19 percent in Vanderburgh, 19 percent in Warrick.
  • The Vanderburgh County coroner reported 67 drug overdoses in 2020; there were 41 drug overdoses in first two quarters of 2021 (compared to 32 in first two quarters of 2020).
  • 34 percent of Vanderburgh County residents and 36 percent of Warrick County residents met criteria for obesity; 29 percent in both counties were physically inactive.