Public Health Assessment hopes to create a healthier Oneida County

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Public Health Assessment hopes to create a healthier Oneida County

By EVAN WHITE

Story Created: May 8, 2008 at 11:56 AM EDT

Story Updated: May 8, 2008 at 5:56 PM EDT

VERNON - Oneida County Health Director Nicolas DeRosa kicked off Thursday's health assessment with hopes to generate ideas leading to health improvements for the area, and community members weighed in.

"We address those issues...those lifestyle behaviors that improve people overall," said Peter Cittadino of the American Cancer Society. "It will also help us to fight cancer."

Herkimer County completed a risk assessment, which serves as a compliment to the County Health Assessment early last year. Many of the issues are similar.

"Being a rural county, health care access is a big issue for us," said Phyllus Spinner, executive director of Herkimer County Healthnet.

Spinner says the 2006 assessment showed that many children were ill-prepared for school, or didn't react well to school environments.

"As a result we instituted home based parenting programs," Spinner said. "First parents as teachers through community maternity services, and then the county received a health families grant."

Oneida County officials say a lot can be accomplished by listening to the concerns of residents county-wide when it comes to dealing with their health.

"I think we can build on that," said Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente. "It will make us more healthy, which will cost us less."

ONEIDA COUNTY HEALTH ASSESSMENT VISIONING SESSIONS

May 19th from 6:00-8:00 p.m. - MVCC Utica Alumni College Center Room 116

May 27th from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Cosmopolitan Center, Utica

May 29th from 6:00-8:00 p.m. MVCC Rome Auditorium

For more information, check out www.ocgov.net

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