Community Health Needs Assessment
Rhea Medical Center conducted their most recent Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) in 2016. The CHNA data applies to people living in the geographic areas of Dayton, Graysville, Evensville, Spring City and Grandview, all communities of Rhea County, Tennessee (Rhea Medical Center, 2016, p. 11).
One thing that surprised me in the CHNA was of the top 15 causes of death in the United States, nine occurred at "Higher than expected" rates in Rhea County (Rhea Medical Center, 2016, p. 30). This is disturbing as I have lived in Rhea County most of my life and have always considered it a safe and healthy place to live. Also surprising, were the mortality and premature death rates, which according to the CHNA are also both higher in Rhea County than the state and national averages. The female life expectancy rate in Rhea County is the 9th worst and the male life expectancy is the 6th worst among 77 peer counties (Rhea Medical Center, 2016, p. 24).
Many factors influence a population 's overall health. …show more content…
367). According to the CHNA, smoking and tobacco use by both males and females has decreased in Rhea County since 1996 (Rhea Medical Center, 2016, p. 30). This is a positive factor influencing community health as smoking has been linked to many health problems including lung disease, which is classified as the 4th leading cause of death in Rhea County and the 3rd overall cause of death in the state (Rhea Medical Center, 2016, p. 15). The alcohol consumption rate in Rhea County has increased (Rhea Medical Center, 2016, p.31). This increase is a negative factor affecting the health of the community which can result in increased alcohol abuse, violence, and injury from