The Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) is conducted every three years by the Carteret County Health Department and Carteret Healthcare to evaluate the health needs and priorities of a specific community. Through this assessment, we can identify key health issues, gaps in services and challenges, which then allows us to develop targeted strategies to address those needs so we are able to make a difference in the community we are serving. The ultimate outcome of the assessment is to improve health and wellness with in that community, in this case within Carteret County.

The Carteret County Health Department and Carteret HealthCare would like to share with you our most recent Community Health Needs Assessment which was finalized in December 2024. We began this process in January 2024. The process to complete the assessment includes collecting data through surveys, interviews, focus groups, and analysis of existing health data. We received over 461 surveys responses from individuals living in Carteret County. Other methods that were used to gather and collect information were focus groups representing the senior citizen population, college students, unhoused population as well as healthcare staff in addition to a prioritization meeting where partners and stakeholders came together to review the top needs that should be addressed.

When looking at the priorities of the 2021 CHNA, which were Chronic Disease, Equitable Access to Healthcare, and Substance Misuse; several services and programs were created to address these priorities, some of which included the creation of the Post Overdose Response Team (PORT), community events and education, school vaping-prevention curriculum and healthy decision making and education on substance misuse.

For the 2024 CHNA, the top four health / wellness priorities were identified as:

• Chronic Health Conditions
• Family, Community, and Social Support
• Mental Health
• Substance Misuse and Tobacco Use

During this next year, along with our stakeholders, we will focus on creating new services, policies, programs, and strategies to address each of these priorities. The CHNA will be available on our website at: https://www.carteretcountync.gov/746/Health-Resources. Lastly, we will have a few printed copies available as well for pick up at the Carteret County Health Department.

Completing the Community Health Needs Assessment is a long and somewhat complex process. I want to thank all individuals who took the survey, participants in the focus groups, and all who took part in this process. We are thankful for your willingness to participate and share your thoughts about health and wellness issues in Carteret County.