(Jackson Twp., OH) – Mental Health and Social Determinants of Health will be the focus of the 2023 Health Improvement Summit.
The Stark County Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) Advisory Committee has planned the annual summit for Thursday, June 8 from 8:30 am-3:30 pm at Kent State University at Stark’s Conference Center located at 6000 Frank Ave. NW in North Canton. The event is offered free of charge through event sponsor North Canton Medical Foundation. Dr. Anju Mader, Chief Integration Officer for the Behavioral Health Collaborative, will be among the featured speakers. She will help present a collective approach for addressing mental health and practical approaches to address social determinants of health. Thrive at Work consultants Jack Ricchiuto and Jen Margolis, funded through Stark Community Foundation, will highlight the work completed in the last year through community engagement and collaborative processes to ensure participants have the understanding and a vision of our north star, “Everyone Struggles. No one Struggles Alone.”
“The health and well-being of our communities are at a critical juncture. Now is the time for Stark County to come together collectively, once again, to focus not only on access to behavioral healthcare, but also address the social determinants of health which affect as much as 80% of the health of our residents,” said Mader.
Other presentations at this year’s Summit include:
- Swimming in the Stream: Practical Approaches to Address Social Determinants of Health by Dr. Anju Mader and Amanda Nelson
- A community health worker and peer recovery panel moderated by Tasha Catron, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Specialist, at the Stark County Health Department
- “If Our Systems Do Not Change, Health Outcomes Cannot Change” by Serena Draper Hendershot and Karen Abel Jepsen
“Mental Health continues to be one of the leading issues facing Stark County residents according to our most recent Community Health Assessment,” said Kirkland Norris, Health Commissioner at the Stark County Health Department. “Our Community Health Improvement Plan for 2023 through 2025 will focus on addressing strategies to improve mental health outcomes including access to healthcare.”
The CHNA Advisory Committee was convened in 2010 to meet the requirements of the Affordable Care Act for nonprofit hospitals and Public Health Accreditation Board standards for health departments. The community health assessment process is facilitated by the Stark County Health Department. The Advisory Committee is comprised of approximately 36 community agencies and volunteers; including four health districts and three nonprofit hospitals that participate and are actively engaged with the assessment process.
The Stark County Combined General Health District (Stark County Health Department) was founded in 1920 and is celebrating a century of health. The department is currently the ninth largest health district in the State of Ohio which serves the public health needs of over 250,000 people. The jurisdiction of the Stark County District is that of the 17 Townships, 12 Villages, and the cities of Louisville, North Canton, and Canal Fulton. The mission of the department is to assess, protect, promote, and improve the health of Stark County through leadership, quality service, and community partnerships.
