Westchester County Community Health Assessment & Improvement
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Working Together Towards a Healthier Westchester Westchester County Community Health Assessment & Improvement Plan Westchester County Department of Health 2014-2017 Robert P. Astorino, Westchester County Executive County Board of Legislators Sherlita Amler, MD, Commissioner of Health Project Directors: Jiali Li, Ph.D., Director of Research and Evaluation Renee Recchia, MPH, Acting Deputy Commissioner of Administration Project Staff: Megan Cea, MPH, Assistant Statistician Stan Cho, MPH, Medical Data Analyst Rosemary James, MPH , Medical Data Analyst Junaid Maqsood, Student Intern from New York Medical College Milagros Venuti, MPA, Assistant Statistician With input from: Segun Okunoye, MPH, Management Analyst Camille C. Gonzalez, Jessica Huang, Qianyun Zhang, Student Interns from Columbia University Mailman School Public Health Graphic Design: Megan Cea, MPH Contact: Jiali Li, Ph.D. Westchester County Department of Health, Planning and Evaluation 10 County Center Road, White Plains, New York 10607 914-995-7499 WESTCHESTER COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH Vision Westchester County Department of Health is the valued leader, partner, and resource in preventing and responding to public health issues that affect the health and well being of our community. Mission The mission of the Westchester County Department of Health is to protect health, reduce environmental risks, prevent disease, and promote access to care and a healthy lifestyle for people of all ages. FOREWORD The Westchester County Department of Health (WCDH) plays a leading role in promoting health, preventing disease, and prolonging meaningful life for Westchester County residents. WCDH monitors and controls the spread of communicable diseases, monitors and regulates air and water quality, enforces the state and local sanitary code, promotes local public health activities, and assures the availability of community health services. To comply with New York State Public Health Law, WCDH has collaborated with local hospitals and other community health partners to complete a Community Health Assessment (CHA), which describes the current health status of Westchester County residents, identifies existing gaps and health care barriers, assesses the availability and accessibility of health care services, and specifies public health priorities in the County. In addition, a Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) has been crafted to lay out the specific objectives, goals, and actions of the Health Department to address the public health priorities identified in the Community Health Assessment. Such efforts are documented in this volume: Westchester County Community Health Assessment (CHA) and Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), 2014-2017. The first section of this document briefly describes the general demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of Westchester County population, followed by the assessment of current health status and existing gaps as measured by the New York State Department of Health‟s Preventive Agenda indicators. The collaborative process of identifying public health priorities and WCDH‟s improvement plan to address such priorities are included in the second section of this document. The third section presents the regional profiles for each of the county‟s 25 towns. The profiles present information on geographic locations, demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, open spaces and housing, vital statistics, emergency room visits, hospitalizations, chronic diseases such as cancer, communicable diseases, public school student obesity status, and public health relevant resources. A detailed map of sources is presented for each town. The last section of this document lists relevant resources and references. Supplementing the Westchester County Community Health Assessment (CHA) and Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), 2014-2017, six additional data reports are compiled to provide detailed data addressing specific areas relevant to the County‟s public health. These reports are: Westchester County Community Health Assessment Supplemental Data Report 1. Population Westchester County Community Health Assessment Supplemental Data Report 2. Vital Statistics Westchester County Community Health Assessment Supplemental Data Report 3. Communicable Diseases Westchester County Community Health Assessment Supplemental Data Report 4. Cancer Westchester County Community Health Assessment Supplemental Data Report 5. Emergency Room Visits Westchester County Community Health Assessment Supplemental Data Report 6. Hospitalizations The WCDH is thankful for the participation and support of local community partners from across multiple sectors in the process of identifying the public health priorities and developing WCDH‟s Community Health Improvement Plan. The plan is a living document to be implemented, evaluated, and improved over the next four years. The WCDH is committed to working with local community partners to address identified gaps, promote local public health activities, and further improve the community health of Westchester County. TABLE OF CONTENTS Vision and Mission of Westchester County Department of Health Foreword Table of Contents Section One 1 I Who We Are: Demographic and Socioeconomic Characteristics 2 II How We Are Doing: New York State Prevention Agenda 9 A. Improve Health Status and Reduce Health Disparities 12 B. Prevent Chronic Disease 14 C. Prevent HIV, STDs, and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and Health Care- Associated Infections 18 D. Promote Healthy Women, Infants, and Children 22 E. Promote Mental Health and Prevent Substance Abuse 28 F. Promote a Healthy and Safe Environment 31 Section Two 37 III Identifying Public Health Priorities and Actions Needed 38 1. Westchester County Health Planning Team: January-October 2013 39 2. WC Health Planning Team Members 41 3. WC Health Planning Team Monthly Meetings 44 4. Priority Areas: 47 i. Prevent Chronic Disease: Reduce Racial Disparities by Decreasing the Percentage of Blacks and Hispanics Dying Prematurely from Heart Related Diseases 48 ii. Promote Healthy Women, Infants and Children: Increase the Proportion of Infants that are Breastfed 51 5. Health Planning Summit: Working Together Towards a Healthier Westchester 56 i. Health Planning Summit Invitation and Agenda 57 ii. Health Summit Attending Community Partners 59 iii Health Summit Attending WCDH Staff 63 iv. Facilitated Breakout Sessions: Identifying Barriers, Actions Needed and Best Practices 64 A. Prevent Chronic Disease: Reduce Racial Disparities by Decreasing the Percentage of Blacks and Hispanics Dying Prematurely from Heart Related Diseases 64 B. Promote Healthy Women, Infants and Children: Increase the Proportion of Infants that are Breastfed 68 IV WCDH Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) - Working Together Towards a Healthier Westchester 2014-2017 74 1. Prevent Chronic Disease: Reduce Racial Disparities by Decreasing the Percentage of Blacks and Hispanics Dying Prematurely from Heart Related Diseases 76 2. Promote Healthy Women, Infants and Children: Increase the Proportion of Infants that are Breastfed 82 Section Three 90 V Community Health Regional Profiles 91 Westchester County 98 Bedford Town 104 Cortlandt Town 110 Eastchester Town 116 Greenburgh Town 122 Harrison Town/Village 128 Lewisboro Town 134 Mamaroneck Town 140 Mount Kisco Town/Village 146 Mount Pleasant Town 152 Mount Vernon 158 New Castle Town 164 New Rochelle 170 North Castle Town 176 North Salem Town 182 Ossining Town 188 Peekskill 194 Pelham Town 200 Pound Ridge Town 206 Rye City 212 Rye Town 218 Scarsdale Town/Village 224 Somers Town 230 White Plains 236 Yonkers 242 Yorktown Town 248 Section Four 254 VI Appendices 255 1. Hospitals 256 2. Residential Care: Nursing Homes, Adult Care Facilities, Hospice 257 3. Visiting Home Health Care Service 259 4. Federally Qualified Neighborhood Health Centers 261 5. Mental Health Programs 262 6. Breastfeeding Support Agencies and Consultants 270 7. Public Schools 271 8. Private Schools 277 9. Colleges and Universities 280 10. Advantage After-School Programs 281 11. Public Libraries 282 SSEECCTTIIOONN OONNEE 1 WHO WE ARE: DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIOECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS 2 WESTCHESTER COUNTY “Westchester has it all”. Indeed, with an area of about 450 square miles, Westchester County is one of the most beautiful places in the country, home to nearly one million people according to the 2010 Census. The County is just north of New York. It is bordered on the west by the Hudson River, on the north by Putnam County, and on the east by the Long Island Sound and Connecticut‟s Fairfield County. Within its border, there are breathtaking rolling hills, parks, farmland, lakes, reservoirs, running rivers, as well as modern cities and advanced roads. In addition to its gorgeous natural scenery, Westchester County is rich in its historical and cultural heritage. It has been home and still home to many famous figures in the country. Many significant historical sites and estates are within walking distance. Twelve collages have their main campuses and headquarters in the County. The very first and only government-planned amusement park in the country, Playland, still has its pre-1930 roller coaster, the Dragon Coaster, rolling and rolling. Currently, the County contains six cities and 19 towns (many include incorporated villages within the town borders). Like its kaleidoscopic geographic and natural features, the County‟s population is also diversified and ever-changing, with an increasing number of various minority groups and foreign-born population,