Genesee County Health Department

Better Life Through Better Health

Release Date:  For Immediate Release  End Date: June 30, 2007

Contact Person:             Lauren Shirey, M.P.H

                                       Community Health Analyst

   Genesee County Health Department

Phone:                           (810) 768-7970

RE:                                Speak to Your Health! Community Survey Begins

June marks the beginning of the third round of a community-wide effort to monitor the health of Flint and Genesee County residents.  The 2007 Speak to Your Health! Community Survey, sponsored by the Prevention Research Center of Michigan and the Genesee County Health Department, will collect important information about the health status and quality of life of Genesee County residents.  Up to 1800 residents throughout the county will be randomly selected to participate in the telephone survey.  Residents chosen will be asked about a variety of health issues, including access to health care, neighborhood issues, health status, health behaviors, and more.

“The Speak to your Health! Community Survey gives us a snapshot of Genesee County’s health. Once we have the results from the 2007 survey, we can compare them with the findings from the previous two surveys and we’ll know which aspects of community health have gotten better, worse, or stayed the same,” says Robert M. Pestronk, Health Officer of the Genesee County Health Department, “Knowing this information helps our community decide how best to address these issues.”

The Prevention Research Center of Michigan is funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and is a partnership among Dort-Oak Park Neighborhood House, Faith Access to Community Economic Development (FACED), the Flint/Genesee County Neighborhood Roundtable, Flint Odyssey House, Inc. Health Awareness Center, Genesee County Community Action Resource Department (GCCARD), YOUR Center, Genesee County Health Department, Greater Flint Health Coalition, University of Michigan-Flint, and University of Michigan School of Public Health.

The survey will be administered by the Michigan Public Health Institute. Results of the 2003 and 2005 Speak to Your Health! Community Surveys are available to the community at http://www.sph.umich.edu/prc or by calling 810-768-7970. Results of the 2007 survey will be available later this year. “Knowledge is wealth, and this survey will ensure that community residents’ voices are heard,” says Lee Bell, Education and Training Chair of the Flint/Genesee County Neighborhood Roundtable. “If you are one of the fortunate residents called, be sure to Speak to Your Health!”