ELMIRA – The “Health Counts in Chemung County” initiative is conducting a community health survey from now until the end of September to assess the health status and healthcare needs of Chemung County residents.  The survey will identify strengths as well as gaps in services and the information obtained will be used to plan and implement health and human services to meet the critical healthcare needs of our community.

Every resident of Chemung County, young and old, is asked to complete the survey online at Survey Monkey, an Internet based survey company, through links on many Chemung County health and human service websites.   The anonymous survey asks questions about general health, risk and protective health factors, access to health care, behaviors that affect your health and additional services you think are needed. 

By completing the survey you are participating in gathering important local health information that can be used to write grants that will enhance our schools, neighborhoods, and communities. The survey data can also help guide local planning decisions which may impact local services, programs, and other opportunities as well as help to identify health disparities among segments of the population.

The survey is completely confidential, you will not be asked for your name, email, or any personal identification whatsoever. The short survey should take no longer than 15 minutes to complete. Click here to be linked to the survey. The link is easy for anyone to access at www.cvhn.org.  Paper copies of the survey form are also available in many locations in the county. You are encouraged to share information about availability of the survey with friends, family, co-workers, neighbors and others.

The “Health Counts in Chemung County” planning partners include the YWCA Elmira & the Twin Tiers, The Economic Opportunity Program Inc. of Chemung and Schuyler Counties (EOP), Chemung County Health Department, Arnot Health as represented by Arnot Ogden Medical Center and St. Joseph’s Hospital, Elmira/Corning NAACP, Chemung Valley Rural Health Network, and the New York State Office of Minority Health, Rural Health Initiative.

For more information on the survey contact Joyce Hyatt at 737-2826 or Gail Walker at 733-5575.