Introduction
You are viewing the Research Edition of the Mesa County Public Health Community Health Needs Assessment. Learn more about the Research Edition here. The regular edition can be found here.
Message from our Executive Director
Xavier Crockett, MS
The Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) is a collaborative effort to understand the landscape of health in our community.
Improving the health of a community requires three ingredients: 1. A public health team with the expertise and experience to provide a backbone for community health intervention. 2. An engaged set of stakeholder partners who see how their missions and visions align with public health priorities. 3. A clear picture of the strengths and challenges our community faces.
“The CHNA shows us where we can grow as a community, and together we have the talent and gumption to see real progress in the coming years.”
We have all three in Mesa County.
The CHNA shows us where we can grow as a community, and together we have the talent and gumption to see real progress in the coming years.
About Mesa County Public Health
Mesa County Public Health is a leader in our community, our region, and throughout Colorado. We formed in 1948 to protect the health of our residents and visitors.
We believe in the power of community partnerships to develop sustainable solutions to improve quality of life. Mesa County Public Health employees believe in the principles of epidemiology, support evidence-based interventions, and advocate for healthy lifestyles at the personal and community levels.
What is the CHNA?
The Community Health Needs Assessment is step one in a three-year cycle of improving our community’s health.
Assess the health status of Mesa County, including the community context.
Identify priority issues and plan projects to improve outcomes.
Implement plans and track progress on goals.
A Collaborative CHNA
Mesa County is unique in our collaborative approach to the CHNA. Local hospitals, health centers, and Mesa County Public Health release one comprehensive document every three years to meet the requirements of all organizations. This facilitates a more unified approach to improving health and quality of life in our community.
CHNA Research Edition
Traditionally Mesa County Public Health has published a designed PDF version of the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA).
This year, MCPH is proud to also offer an online research edition of the CHNA, which offers a variety of benefits including:
- Eliminating the need to download a very large file.
- An easy-to-use navigation tool. On the left side of every page, the document outline navigates the entire report by section. On the right side of every page (if screen side allows it), a section outline navigates at a detailed level within the section.
- In-text links to quickly navigate between related content within the report.
- Data is displayed in multiple ways. Many charts include a point-in-time comparison between different geographies, a time trend, and a data table with specific numbers.
- Highly functional search options. The search feature at the top right allows a keyword search that previews content around the search term. Navigate to search results by selecting the most relevant result instead of using a traditional “find” function.
- Expanded content. In some sections of the traditional edition, data could not be included due to space concerns. Here, that data is included.
- The community profiles “Fast facts” section has been expanded to a variety of nearby counties that include populations that likely seek services in Mesa County.
- Pages are dynamically formated to your screen size.
If you’re comparing the traditional edition to the online research edition, you’ll notice some style differences in the way the content is presented. These differences are cosmetic. The analysis included in both editions is the same.
The platform used for this version of the CHNA is an open source freely available platform called Quarto. MCPH hopes you find this version useful in helping improve our Community.
Community Partners
Family Health West is a non-profit healthcare organization located in Fruita, Colorado, serving the Western Slope region. Our commitment to compassionate care and community health has remained unwavering since our founding in 1946.
Family Health West is a full-service critical access hospital designed for the growing healthcare needs of the community. Our 25-bed hospital includes the only swing-bed or transitional care facility in the Grand Valley. This allows patients to receive intensive, hospital- based rehabilitation after acute hospital care is no longer needed. The hospital also includes emergency, imaging, laboratory, and surgical services.
Family Health West is deeply rooted in the belief that healthy families build strong communities. We remain committed to our mission, working tirelessly to ensure that every individual has access to quality healthcare.
Mind Springs Health is a full-service provider of counseling, therapy, and psychiatric services for mental, behavioral, and emotional wellness for the entire family. Our team of caring employees also help individuals and families deal with and recover from substance use. Our recovery treatment teams provide gender responsive care for both mental illness and addiction together. Mind Springs Health also offers 24/7 crisis response services, school-based services, several office locations for outpatient treatment, including telehealth psychiatry and same-day appointments, a medically managed withdrawal management program in Grand Junction, and three residential treatment centers. Mind Springs also provides comprehensive, inpatient services through West Springs Hospital, the only psychiatric hospital with a 24/7 psychiatric emergency department between Denver and Salt Lake City.
Monument Health, LLC facilitates the largest and most comprehensive clinically integrated network (CIN) on Colorado’s Western Slope and delivers high-impact population health services. Monument Health currently manages a network of 75,000 members across the Western Slope, which encompasses Commercial, Medicaid, CHP+, Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Dual Special Needs (D-SNP) insurance plans across multiple payors. Self-funded employer groups utilize the Monument Health network and population health services to help their members achieve greater health while containing costs. In addition, Monument Health offers contracting, data/analytics, population health, and employee-based wellness programs and services.
MarillacHealth, a nonprofit healthcare organization, is Mesa County’s only Federally Qualified Community Health Center (FQHC), providing high quality primary medical, dental, and behavioral health services to 10,000-12,000 patients annually. With multiple locations, including a School Based Health Center, Marillac makes healthcare accessible, affordable, and welcoming to all ages and stages of life. Because CHCs offer a sliding fee discount program for persons of lower income, most Marillac patients are living within 200% of Federal Low-Income guidelines, are uninsured, use Medicaid or Medicare, or experiencing other challenges. Everyone is welcome at Marillac —even patients with private insurance.
Community Hospital is a non-profit, fully accredited acute-care hospital with 60 licensed beds. This hospital is a Level III trauma center with full outpatient diagnostic services, inpatient care, labor and delivery services, and emergency care. Community Hospital partners with the University of Utah and Huntsman Cancer Institute to offer comprehensive cancer care, including medical and radiation oncology treatment in a brand-new state-of-the art facility. Services are offered by expert staff and with world-class technology in a healing, family-centered environment. Community Hospital also strives to serve our community through various ways including the opening of an on-site early childcare center.
Hilltop Community Resources has over 25 programs dedicated to serving individuals and families in need while providing resources that are comprehensive, evidence-based, family- focused, and supported by community collaboration.
Hilltop’s services range from ensuring expecting families have access to healthcare, to fostering brain-injured adults with the ability to live as independently as possible, to providing safe housing for people affected by intimate partner violence or sexual assault, to supporting seniors with memory loss and their families with respite care. At the heart of our mission is the belief in connecting people and fostering a sense of community, where each individual’s unique journey is celebrated and cherished.
St. Mary’s Regional Hospital, now part of Intermountain Healthcare, has been part of the Grand Junction community since it was founded in 1896 by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. We are the largest medical center between Denver and Salt Lake City and the only Level II Trauma Center and Level III NICU in the region. Since our founding, we have been committed to putting people first. Our patients and families are at the center of everything we do. St. Mary’s is committed to not only providing high quality care but also in helping create a healthier community. Our specialists take an individualized approach to treating the whole person, not just the disease. Having the right support is invaluable to creating a healthier you.
The VA Western Colorado Health Care System center is a federal health facility with 53 acute and long-term beds. They provide inpatient and ambulatory medicine, surgery, and psychiatric services to all veterans.
Data Methodology and Prioritization
Creating a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) involves careful decisions about what to include in the report. The goal is to identify health needs affecting residents and disparities among diverse populations in Mesa County. Below is a brief summary of our process.
The “Data Methodology and Prioritization” section was add 10/14/2024.
Stakeholder feedback from partnering health organizations, primary data, and secondary data were collected and analyzed to determine the health needs impacting residents in Mesa County. Current stakeholder feedback, a community survey (Tell Us), and a priori knowledge from previous CHNAs were used to evaluate progress on previously established needs and to identify emerging trends for the 2024 CHNA. Significant health needs identified in this initial phase were then evaluated using both primary and secondary data sources. Health outcomes and upstream factors were evaluated using the Social Determinants of Health framework from Healthy People 2030.
Whenever possible, county-level metrics—and more specific geographic data—were compared to state and national metrics, examining both current values and trends over the past 10 years. Additionally, where the data allowed, the analysis evaluated health needs for disparities among diverse populations, considering factors such as gender, age, geographic location, income, and race and ethnicity.
When it was determined that another entity had greater expertise or could present the information more effectively, references were included to direct readers to alternative reports and resources.
Survey Data Sources
Mesa County Surveys
Mesa County Tell Us Community Survey, 2022
The Tell Us Community Survey was conducted by Mesa County Public Health in 2022 to assess community members’ quality of life, satisfaction with Mesa County and its services, and level of social connectedness.
1,233 responses were collected, and weighted based on sex, age, income, education level, race and ethnicity, and political affiliation in order to better reflect the population of Mesa County. The survey was available in English and Spanish, with online, paper, and phone-in options.
More information about the Tell Us Community Survey is available from Mesa County Public Health.
Mesa County Master Plan Survey, 2022
The Master Plan Survey was conducted by Mesa County in 2022 to solicit feedback on community members’ quality of life, priorities for the future growth of Mesa County, and satisfaction with the resources and infrastructure of Mesa County.
2,046 responses were collected, and weighted based on age of householder, homeownership, and zip code in order to better reflect the population of Mesa County. The survey was available in English and Spanish, with paper and online options.
More information about the Master Plan Survey is available from the Mesa County Planning Department.
State and National Surveys
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 2015-2022
The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey is a federally-funded random telephone survey of Colorado residents ages 18 and older. Information is gathered on a variety of health behaviors, conditions and preventative health practices. The questions collect data related to the leading causes of chronic disease, infectious disease, substance use, disability, injury, and mortality.
In each of the past eight years, between 242 and 324 Mesa County residents have been included in the annual BRFSS survey.
More information about the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey is available from Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment.
Healthy Kids Colorado Survey (HKSC), 2015-2021
The Healthy Kids Colorado Survey is conducted by Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment and University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. It is administered by participating districts and schools every other year.
In the 2021 survey cycle, too few Mesa County students participated for data to be included in the state results. However, Mesa County Public Health was able to access the raw, anonymous data, and perform our own analysis of the 1,033 responses.
2023 preliminary data was released June 14, 2024, too late for inclusion in this report. MCPH anticipates a rich analysis of that raw data to update key insights from the 2021 data set.
More information about the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey is available from the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment.
Social Determinants of Health
We organize the topics in the CHNA according to the social determinants of health. These are the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, and play that affect a wide range of health and quality of life outcomes.
Addressing the social determinants of health is an important approach to achieving health equity, in which everyone has the opportunity to achieve their full health potential. In Mesa County, we understand that by addressing these five key areas, we can take meaningful action that will result in improvements to our community’s overall quality of life.
Throughout the CHNA, you’ll see icons that help you prioritize, interpret, or extend the data.
Insights from the data to remember.
Information to help you interpret the graphs and charts.
Resources to learn more about topics you care about.
We weave our diversity, equity, and inclusion priorities throughout every section of the report. This means we share the specific experience of residents based on gender, age, geographic location, and race and ethnicity. We also highlight inclusion in our social and community context section.
In the 2024-2026 Health Improvement Cycle, the CHNA stakeholders intend to align health improvement plan efforts. This means that each group will look for opportunities to select priorities from the Priority Menu on page __, and collaborate on planning and implementation. Most stakeholders intend to select priorities and create collaborative action plans by the end of 2024.