Lewis and Clark Public Health officials, in collaboration with PureView Health Clinic, St. Peter’s Health, United Way, Rocky Mountain Development Council, and the Montana Department of Health and Human Services, oversaw a first-of-its-kind community health survey in a multi-county area that spans Lewis and Clark, Jefferson, Powell, Broadwater, and Meagher counties.
Conducted in late June 2024 by over twenty local volunteers and a twelve-member team from the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, the Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response – or CASPER – survey took place in neighborhoods around the five-county area over the course of five days.
The survey is meant to provide a snapshot of our communities on several health conditions and behaviors, and social determinants of health, including cancer, heart disease, substance use, mental health, housing, childcare, food security, and more.
Survey results will be included in the 2024 Community Health Report, published by the Healthy Together Steering Committee every three years.
Formalized in October 2017, the Healthy Together Steering Committee is an ongoing partnership among agencies in Lewis and Clark County that are concerned with improving population health.
That report will then form the basis for the Community Health Improvement Plan, which will be developed and released in 2025 and help determine public health priorities to improve health outcomes for residents of the county.
Among its many benefits, the CASPER survey is an opportunity for local, state, and federal agencies – both government and nonprofit - to connect with residents and hear firsthand their thoughts about the overall health of the community.