Shawnee County health leaders lay out Community Health Needs Assessment, urge city partnership

Shawnee County health officials and LiveWell Shawnee County presented results of a new community health needs assessment to the Topeka City Public Health and Safety Committee on April 16, urging closer city-county partnership to address behavioral health, housing and persistent disparities in infant mortality.

The assessment, panelists said, is the product of survey responses, focus groups and county-level health data. "We had 3,816 survey responses this year," Danielle Twemlow said, noting the count was up from 2,536 three years earlier.

The presentation described the assessment process and five county priorities that will guide a three-year community health improvement plan: behavioral health (mental health and substance use), neighborhood safety and housing, food security/healthy…