June 19, 2019) — Deaconess Health System, along with ECHO Community Health Care, St. Vincent Evansville, United Way of Southwest Indiana, Vanderburgh County Health Department, and Welborn Baptist Foundation has chosen to support the Mayor’s Substance Abuse Task Force (MSATF) for the 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment.
“When we refocused the task force in 2017, our goal was to work with community partners to address new trends in drug use and provide information for people who struggle with various forms of substance abuse, including alcohol and opioids,” said Mayor Lloyd Winnecke. “I’m thrilled the 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment supports our efforts.”
The organizations participating in this year’s assessment selected five local health priorities: Substance Abuse and Alcohol Abuse, Mental Health, Food Insecurity & Food Access, Chronic Health Conditions and Poverty.
“MSATF faces some difficult challenges because substance abuse is a complicated problem with complicated solutions,” MSATF Director Dr. William Wooten said. “This is part of a significant effort to move forward and gain consensus on what the appropriate solutions are.”
MSATF will work with the assessment to help transform overall population health and reduce healthcare costs.
Read the full assessment: https://bit.ly/2x7tCSY
Watch Dr. William Wooten’s remarks: https://bit.ly/2XYjjww