Sedgwick County residents’ health worse in key areas, assessment shows

The health of Sedgwick County residents has worsened in some of the most important areas, according to a new assessment.

Obesity, diabetes, the percentage of adults who don’t go to the dentist and the number of cavities and tooth decay in children all have increased since the initial health assessment in 2012.

In other areas, the county improved or at least remained stable toward health goals set in a Community Health Improvement Plan for 2013-15.

Areas of improvement included more use of mental health services, more adults with personal health care providers, more people visiting community health clinics and expanded access to bike lanes and bike paths.

“It would be wonderful to see that assessment reflect a much healthier community with less needs and gaps,” said Anne Nelson, executive director for Project Access, a program that serves low-income uninsured patients.

Sedgwick County government previously funded the health assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan but decided to stop funding the program during a round of budget cuts approved last summer.

The county health department paid for the assessment with money from last year’s budget. But it won’t pay for the plan that’s developed from the assessment results.

“I wish the entire community supported public health more strongly, and it’s disappointing to not see more elected officials and others in the community get more actively involved,” Nelson said.

Health Alliance

A draft plan for 2016 through 2018 health goals will be shared for public feedback in June, and a final plan is expected to be published in July.

The county typically funded the health assessment because the county served as the connector of different entities, organizations and public health groups in the community.

The county commissioners did not fund the program for the 2016 budget, so the Health Alliance, a Wichita-based coalition, plans to take over the planning process.

The Sedgwick County Health Department did not attend the meeting about the assessment on March 4.

Adrienne Byrne-Lutz, director of the county health department, would not comment.

Richard Ranzau, a Sedgwick County commissioner, said he did not tell the health department not to attend the meeting.

But he said he didn’t understand why the county health department needed to be present at a meeting about the assessment.

“They got the information, they can do what they want with it,” he said, referring to the assessment that was paid for by the county.

He said he doesn’t think the assessment needs to be led by the county.

“Communities don’t have health problems, individuals do, and individual health problems are best addressed one-on-one with their physician,” Ranzau said.

The assessment and health plan affect more than just county funding. Nonprofits use it to justify grants and health programs.

The Sedgwick County Health Department is accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board.

However, the board requires accredited public health departments to participate in or lead a Comprehensive Community Health Assessment.

Becky Tuttle, project manager for Health ICT and chairwoman of the Wichita Health Alliance, said the community needs data in order to shape actions and directions.

“Without a plan, you don’t have anything to base it on,” Tuttle said.

She said she feels confident going forward with the next plan through 2018 but can’t yet tell what the group will decide to prioritize.

“Every time you have a plan, it’s a blueprint of where you want to actually get,” she said. “It isn’t that you’re able to see the success in every area, but you’re making some strides.”

Some shortfalls

Here are some of the findings from the health assessment.

▪ The number of residents who received materials and information about community health clinics remained stable rather than increased. The goal was to get information to more people through the Community Health Navigators Program. The number increased by 200 people in 2014 but decreased by more than 300 in 2015.

▪ The number of patients served through Project Access – a program that provides services for low-income uninsured residents – decreased rather than increased. The number of patients served the past three years were 1,654, 1,482 and 1,402.

▪ The percentage of adults diagnosed with diabetes increased rather than decreased. It jumped to 11.8 percent in 2015 from 10.6 percent in 2014.

▪ The percentage of obese adults increased rather than decreased. According to the assessment, 32.7 percent of adults in Sedgwick County are obese, up from 28.7 percent in 2013.

▪ The percentage of adults who did not visit a dentist, dental hygienist or dental clinic in the past year increased – from 30.7 to 32.7 percent.

▪ The number of children with cavities or tooth decay grew instead of shrank – it was 16.4 percent and is now 21.17 percent.

This story was originally published March 13, 2016 at 7:56 PM with the headline "Sedgwick County residents’ health worse in key areas, assessment shows."