Over the next two months, 2,400 Allen County residents will be randomly selected to participate in a community health assessment survey, according to Monica Harnish, director of health planning services of the Allen County Public Department.

 The committee is working closely with the Hospital Council of Northwest Ohio and researchers at the University of Toledo to conduct the survey.

Residents of Allen County who are randomly selected are urged to complete and return the survey.

The anonymous survey asks participants to answer questions about general health, risk and protective health factors, and access to health care.

These answers will create a snapshot of the health of Allen County adults. The results will guide many public and private agencies in their program planning over the next several years by identifying key health problems.

The final Community Health Assessment report will be published in the summer of 2017 at which time the results will be used to prioritize needs and create a community health improvement plan.

The Allen County Community Health Assessment Committee is composed of many public and private agencies that make up the public health system.

The partners include: Activate Allen County, Allen County Public Health, Lima Memorial Health System, Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Allen, Auglaize and Hardin Counties, The Ohio State University at Lima, St. Rita’s Health Partners, The United Way of Greater Lima, West Ohio Community Action Partnership, Health Partners of Western Ohio, the Allen County Educational Service Center, Crime Victim Services, Community Health Services, YWCA of Northwest Ohio, and the American Cancer Society.