The Carroll County Health Department presented the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps 2025 and local public‑health data at the May 29 commission meeting, telling commissioners the county generally fares better than state and national averages on many metrics but faces pressing behavioral‑health, access and long‑commute challenges.

The presentation, led by Amy (the county epidemiologist) and Maggie (the department’s public‑information and strategy lead), summarized the 29‑metric ranking and local datasets used to shape the department’s strategic planning. Amy said, “Carroll County is faring slightly better than the average county in Maryland for population health and well‑being, and better than the average county in the nation.”

Why it matters: Commissioners said the results matter for where the county should focus limited resources. The department identified particular community strengths — high school completion, low uninsured rates and improvements in mammography screening and air quality — and pointed to persistent gaps: high percentages of workers who commute more than 30 minutes alone, a declining ratio of primary‑care physicians per resident, and troubling youth mental‑health indicators from school surveys.

Department staff walked commissioners through community‑condition measures the rankings use, including health‑infrastructure metrics (providers per population, screening rates), physical‑environment metrics (air quality, broadband access) and social‑economic factors. Amy flagged the primary‑care physician ratio as a concerning trend: the county’s ratio rose from about 2,120:1 in 2020 to about 2,260:1 in the latest report.

The presenters and commissioners spent the most time on behavioral health and school survey participation. The health department cited youth survey results showing elevated levels of sadness and suicidal ideation among middle‑ and high‑school students; staff noted the survey is opt‑out and that response rates vary. Commissioner Rostein said the opt‑out approach hampers planning: “I feel like we are turning a blind eye to mental health and behavioral health by this opt out type of a scenario.” Commissioners and staff discussed ways to increase survey participation and to route limited resources toward school‑based identification and services.

Staff also noted pockets of higher need within the county — census tracts around Westminster, Union Bridge and Taneytown show relatively higher poverty, food insecurity and chronic‑disease burdens — and described targeted outreach already underway, including a CareFirst‑funded nutrition education pilot with Westminster Rescue Mission.

Next steps and requests: Health‑department staff asked the commissioners for guidance on strategic priorities to carry into a new multi‑year plan and said they would expand public information about available services. The department plans a “Here for You” outreach campaign and will work with community partners, the hospital and local coalitions to coordinate programs. Commissioners asked the department to return with prioritized options tied to specific resource requests and measurable targets.

The presentation materials cited the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps (University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, 2025) and the department’s 2024 community health needs assessment as primary data sources; staff said the national rankings program is searching for funding and its future releases are uncertain.

The meeting segment concluded with commissioners thanking staff for providing data in advance so they could review it before the meeting.