The Context

Franklin County HealthMap2022 is the result of a broad collaborative effort coordinated by the Central Ohio Hospital Council (COHC), Columbus Public Health (CPH), Franklin County Public Health (FCPH), and Illuminology. The intent of this effort is to help health departments, hospitals, social service agencies, other organizations, and community stakeholders better understand the health needs and priorities of Franklin County residents.

The Critical Question

What does a comprehensive overview of the Franklin County community’s health status and needs look like? What acute and chronic health conditions, access to care barriers, and other health issues face residents, and how can these health needs be prioritized so that community resources and efforts are directed to where they will have the greatest impact?

Our Solution

As in previous years, we obtained the most recent and highest quality secondary data from trusted sources. New in 2022, we conducted 10 focus groups with residents living in the geographic areas served by the health departments and hospitals; these sessions provided us with the opportunity to better understand many of the nuances relating to key health issues as well as to identify the action steps that residents recommend the health organizations consider in the future. After analyzing these primary and secondary data, we created a summary report organized by health theme, using tables and graphics to display trends over time locally as well as comparisons to state and national data. When possible, data were presented visually by zip code. That summary report, which organizes information and insights thematically, can be accessed here.

Illumination

Many indicators suggest that residents’ health compares favorably to those elsewhere in the state and country, while other indicators suggest areas in which residents are less healthy. Using these data and insights, Illuminology successfully facilitated meetings attended by representatives from dozens of organizations who identified the following issues as ones that have an outsized impact on community members’ health: basic needs (housing security, financial stability, neighborhood safety, food security); racial equity; behavior health (mental health and addiction); and maternal and infant health.

Resolution

As reported in the Columbus Dispatch, Central Ohio’s hospitals and other community stakeholders are actively working to develop and implement strategic plans that will address the community’s prioritized health needs. Franklin County HealthMap2022 will continue to be a source of information that helps keep people healthy, strengthens community relationships, and guides the targeting and prioritization of limited resources.