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Public health presents Muscatine County 2024–2027 health-improvement plan focusing on behavioral health and healthy living
Summary
Muscatine County public health presented priorities and planned initiatives from the 2024 community health assessment, naming behavioral health and physical activity/nutrition/weight management as the top two priorities to guide work through 2027.
Jen Kraft presented the 2024–2027 Muscatine County Health Improvement Plan at the May 5 Muscatine County Board of Supervisors meeting, outlining two primary priorities for the next two years: behavioral health and physical activity, nutrition and weight management.
Kraft said the county conducts a community health assessment every three years in partnership with Trinity Muscatine, UnityPoint Quad Cities, Scott County Health Department, Rock Island County Health Department and Community Health Care. For the 2024 assessment, the stakeholder committee prioritized behavioral health and then physical activity, nutrition and weight management.
Under behavioral health, public health plans to launch an educational media campaign to direct residents to who to contact and where to get services; expand mental-health first-aid training available to community members, educators and first responders; and promote a centralized resource hub, “Together We Care,” that community partners can populate and update. Kraft said she obtained certification funding to train mental-health first-aid instructors locally and expects to offer training at no or reduced cost where external trainers typically charge about $80 per person.
On nutrition and physical activity, the department will launch education campaigns about healthy living, partner with ISU Extension’s LEAP coalition and local organizations to promote wellness policies (for example, healthy meeting guidelines), and organize community fitness and cooking programs. The health department will also coordinate with UnityPoint Clinics on child healthy-weight education and with UnityPoint Muscatine on community outreach programs such as Heart to Heart.
Board members asked about the timing for the certified community behavioral health clinic (CCBHC) rollout; Kraft said she had not received firm dates but reported that staff transitions and hiring were underway. Board members offered to help with messaging and policy steps as Kraft develops specific requests. Kraft said the county will explore linking resources to the Muscatine Cares app but prefers to avoid duplication where established resources such as the Together We Care hub already exist.
Kraft concluded by noting the plan and measurements are posted on the Trinity Muscatine public health website.
