Westchester County Launches Health Survey

(White Plains, NY) – The Westchester County Department of Health and local hospitals have teamed up to launch a survey that asks County residents 18 and older to assess their own health as well as the health of their community.

Available in English and Spanish online and on paper from now through March, the anonymous survey seeks to identify the top priority health issues for Westchester residents and their community, the most needed services and the largest obstacles that prevent access to care.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer said: “Your voice matters. To best serve you, our County Health Department and local hospitals need public input and want to be as inclusive as possible, so please take this survey.”

Westchester County Commissioner of Health Sherlita Amler, MD, said:  “Your participation can help shape the ways that the Health Department and hospitals serve our communities. Community priorities change and the results of this survey will help us adapt to meet those changing needs.”

The survey will be distributed to a diverse range of community groups and will be available in public locations such as local libraries, hospitals, clinics and County offices. In late March, the County’s Health Department and local hospitals will meet with health and human services providers to elicit their input.

The survey results will be used by both the County Health Department and local hospitals to help drive their community service agenda for the next three years. Known as a Community Health Needs Assessment, the survey is required by the State Health Department and is an element in the Community Health Improvement Plan, which all local health departments must develop. The state requires that two priorities be selected, one of which must focus on health inequities.