On Friday, Brunswick County released the results of its 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment. The county collected 879 responses from residents, medical experts, and social service workers. This year, respondents expressed major concerns about chronic illness, behavioral health, and healthcare access.
“This assessment is vital in identifying the health needs of our residents,” Brunswick County Health Services Director David Howard stated in a press release. “My team looks forward to creating a plan that will help improve the lives of the people who live here.”
North Carolina requires its counties to conduct community health surveys every three years. Brunswick County launched its survey in June 2022, the first since COVID-19 struck the county. Over the course of four months, county officials conducted 795 individual surveys, interviewed 48 experts, and hosted two focus groups with county residents at an addiction treatment center run by Coastal Horizons and at Cedar Grove Middle School.
Survey respondents ranked healthcare access and elder care as their top concerns. Brunswick County has only 4.2 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents compared to the state average of 8 per 10,000. Mental health providers are even scarcer, with only 0.8 per 10,000 residents compared to 3.6 per 10,000 in North Carolina overall. And with Brunswick County’s aging population increasing, county officials fear that these facilities could become even more overburdened.
Substance abuse also ranked as a key area of concern. Brunswick County sees about 23.2 opiate overdose deaths per 100,000 people, higher than both North Carolina’s 15.3 per 100,000 and the United States’ 11.8 per 100,000. But respondents say there are simply not enough treatment options for those seeking help with addiction.
Now that the data is out, Brunswick County is moving on to developing its 2023-2026 Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP).
“We are thankful to our partnering agencies, community leaders, and residents for assisting us with this assessment,” Howard said. “This tool will help us meet our goal of making Brunswick County one of the healthiest counties in North Carolina.”
