Making Good Things Happen
A blog that informs our clients about real world topics related to what we do as Scale Strategic Solutions!
Addressing Health Disparities in Butler County
TriHealth and bi3 engaged Scale Strategic Solutions, and its collaborators, Strategik513 and DEEP Consultants, to conduct a needs assessment for Butler County, Ohio. The goals of the study were to create a detailed assessment of the county’s health needs, recommend strategies for improvement, identify groups for future engagement, and develop an equity focused plan.
The health and well-being of our community are deeply influenced by economic conditions and social factors. Our findings highlight key challenges impacting health equity in Butler County:
- Social Vulnerability: The Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) identifies areas needing additional resources, with Middletown, Hamilton, Fairfield, and Oxford having the highest scores.
- Transportation Barriers: Limited public transit options make accessing healthcare and essential services difficult, particularly for those relying on Medicaid/Medicare transportation benefits.
- Housing Insecurity: A shortage of affordable housing and opposition to housing for mental health and low-income residents create significant health challenges.
- Healthcare Access: While several hospitals and clinics serve Butler County, shortages in specialists and mental health providers result in long wait times and travel burdens for care.
- Rising Healthcare Costs: Many residents face high out-of-pocket expenses, leading to delayed or skipped care.
Based on the quantitative and qualitative data, we came up with ten recommendations for action to meet the needs of Butler County and advance its health equity and outcomes:
- Expand primary and specialty care access through new sites, mobile clinics, and community partnerships.
- Strengthen maternal and child health programs.
- Utilize community health workers (CHWs) to connect residents to vital resources.
- Enhance mental and behavioral health services, especially for youth.
- Improve collaboration between healthcare providers, local agencies, and community partners.
- Provide financial support for healthcare access, including transportation grants and health vouchers.
- Promote preventive care and chronic disease management
- Increase awareness of language and cultural services.
- Train healthcare staff to provide respectful, unbiased care.
- Address social determinants of health by linking residents to essential resources.
Bi3 then designed a grant program to identify and support community partners to address these challenges.
Connect with Scale today to learn more about how you can leverage our capabilities to conduct community health needs assessments and strengthen healthcare access and improve outcomes for your community.
In today’s data-driven world, local health departments (LHDs) play a critical role in shaping community health and advancing equity. Yet, to do this effectively, they need more than just national trends, they need access to localized, granular data that reflects the real conditions on the ground. Data sharing is not only a technical challenge but a strategic community-focused practice. When LHDs collaborate with community organizations such as schools, hospitals, social service agencies and law enforcement, they unlock new pathways to address public health challenges more effectively. Local data allows communities to identify emerging health threats, evaluate the impact of programs, and understand how the Social Determinants of Health influence well-being. Scale Strategic Solutions, in partnership with D.E.E.P. Consultants and Strategik513, is proud to announce the development of a robust, strategic roadmap designed to support public health professionals in leveraging data to improve population health outcomes and reduce disparities. Our team of subject matter experts collaborated closely with the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) and local health departments to gain firsthand insights into the challenges and opportunities surrounding data sharing practices. This discovery process informed the creation of two key resources aimed at building data capacity in the field. The "Increasing Data Sharing Capacity for Local Health Departments" asynchronous training, alongside the complementary Data Sharing Resource Guide , are now available on NACCHO University , the organization’s online learning platform. At Scale, we are committed to advancing the culture of data sharing within public health ecosystems. These resources were developed to meet practitioners where they are, offering flexible, high-impact tools to drive meaningful improvements in health equity and data-driven decision-making. If your organization is interested in learning more or would benefit from a customized training solution tailored to your specific data sharing needs, we invite you to contact us . Together, we can empower local health leaders with the tools and knowledge needed to transform data into action.
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