The Orange Park Medical Center, the Clay County Health Department, and the Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida are hosting a press conference on Tuesday, October 5 to present the 2009-2010 Clay County Task Force's Health Assessment report to the Clay County community. The press conference will be held at the Orange Park Medical Center's Main Entrance and will start promptly at 2:30 PM.

 "At a time when our nation is facing critical health care issues, the people of Clay County are becoming increasingly aware of the impacts of lifestyle, physical and economic environments as well as affordable, accessible health care are to the health of the community. These factors impact not only the individuals who live within the county, but the vitality and success of the county itself," stated Nancy Mills, Administrator for the Clay County Health Department.

 In the Fall of 2009, leaders from Orange Park Medical Center and the Clay County Health Department came together to launch a county-wide assessment of the overall health status and priority health issues facing Clay County residents.   The Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida was subcontracted to guide and facilitate the process.

"The Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida's report gives every organization involved in providing healthcare services to the people of Clay County a qualitative and quantitative understanding of their healthcare concerns and needs, and most importantly, the report provides a roadmap for the action items necessary to address these needs," said Mr. Thomas Pentz, CEO of Orange Park Medical Center. 

 More than 70 key healthcare and community stakeholders were invited to join the Clay County Health Assessment Task Force, and to participate in the assessment by representing the needs of their clients, constituents, and communities.   Collectively, more than 40 community leaders contributed to the process by attending at least one Task Force meeting; with more than an additional 1,550 residents contributing to the assessment through their participation in surveys and group discussions.  Components of Clay County's health assessment included an analysis of available demographic data, health statistics, and access to health care indicators for county residents.   Community input was obtained from focus group discussions and a county-wide survey that solicited the community's opinions on health care services and quality of life issues.  

 This assessment is the product of a collective and collaborative effort from a variety of dedicated health and social service providers along with other invaluable community stakeholders from across all regions of Clay County.   It is hoped that the findings from this community health assessment will serve to guide health and social services providers in the county in their program development efforts over the next 3-5 years.

 The Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida has been addressing the healthcare needs of Baker, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, St. Johns, and Volusia counties (Region 4) for more than 40 years under a variety of federal, state, and local health planning initiatives. We strive to meet Florida's healthcare challenges through planning, research and evaluation initiatives that target local healthcare needs and affect health policy.