This Month in Health

From Your Voice to a Vision: Our 5-Year Health Plan is Here!

We have some big news to share! The 2025 Community Health Assessment and the 2026-2030 Community Health Improvement Plan are officially complete. (click the image to view)

This wasn’t just a project for experts in offices—it was powered by you. To the Essex County residents who took the time to fill out our community health surveys: thank you. Your input was the foundation of this entire process.

How Your Input Became Action:⬇️

We followed a clear path to make sure the final plan reflected your real-life needs:

✅The Survey: You told us what health challenges you face every day.

✅The Feedback: We listened to your feedback and reviewed the data.

✅The Focus: We narrowed down the biggest priorities for our community.

✅The Plan: We now have the data needed to share with community partners and policymakers to advocate for change.

What did we learn?

To get a full picture of our region, we analyzed over 355 different health markers. We looked at:

➡️Our Neighbors: Looking at employment, poverty levels, and the challenges faced by working families. Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed households are those with incomes above the Federal Poverty Limit, but below the basic cost of living (ALICE).

➡️Our Schools: Checking in on student enrollment, graduation rates, and classroom support.

➡️Our Resources: We used data for what is available to the people living here, from hospitals, to health care providers and dentists.

➡️Our Environment: Evaluating the conditions in which we live, work, and play.

Why this matters to YOU

Health is about more than just being "not sick." It’s about having the opportunity to thrive. These plans help us decide where to put our resources over the next five years to make sure our region is a place where everyone can lead a long, high-quality life. View the entire CHA here

Vape Prevention Campaign

The Essex County Health Department leads the Tobacco Use Reduction Network (TURN), a coalition of regional organizations focused on addressing tobacco and nicotine use through coordinated interventions.

Collaborative Partners

The network operates through the contributions of several key partners:

• C-TURN: Facilitates youth-led initiatives regarding tobacco-free policies.

• The Heart Network: Provides North Country Nicotine Consultants to assist healthcare providers with evidence-based interventions.

• The Prevention Team: Delivers school-based prevention education and interventions.

• NYS Department of Health (Saranac Lake District Office): Conducts retailer compliance checks to ensure adherence to state regulations.

Strategic Objectives

TURN’s objective is to provide a comprehensive approach to health improvement. This includes community education, local support systems, and the provision of data to decision-makers to assist in evaluating and advocating for policy updates.

Expanding our outreach, a new billboard was installed in Port Henry this January. This seasonal campaign will be reinforced through posters, window clings, and social media to ensure these health resources reach all residents.

For videos on fitness band workouts, follow the link 👇

Band Workouts

Home Health Care: Quality Performance Update

Our Home Health Care Unit continues to exceed state and national benchmarks for patient care. According to the latest Medicare Care Compare data (updated November 20, 2025), our agency outperformed competitors and averages across three key areas:

These statistics reflect our commitment to providing high-quality care that keeps residents safe and satisfied in their homes. By maintaining a readmission rate much lower than the national average, our team ensures that patients receive the support they need to recover effectively without returning to the hospital.

Check out more tips for winter preparedness here

Get your Narcan kit here

Healthy People in Healthy Communities