HEALTH ACCESS

A previous community health assessment found that residents of the Mon Valley and Eastern suburban regions of Allegheny County bear a disproportionate burden of poor health outcomes, ranging from higher rates of diabetes and hypertension to higher rates of obesity and smoking. In 2017, Allegheny County released its health improvement plan, Plan for a Healthier Allegheny, identifying chronic diseases and the behaviors that may lead to them as top priority issues. In response, SRCOG set out to identify social, economic, and environmental causes of chronic disease, outline areas of greatest need, and recommend potential solutions that will improve the overall health of our communities.

SRCOG, Turtle Creek Valley Council of Governments, and the Allegheny County Health Department collaborated to examine the availability and accessibility of healthcare services for the residents of the 39 Council of Governments communities in the Mon Valley and Eastern suburbs. This assessment of current healthcare services seeks to support the development of a regional approach to increasing access to healthcare services.

Results from our work can be viewed here.