Mimi Collins, Chairman of VISION 2030’s Healthcare Initiative Consortium and CEO of The Longstreet Clinic, recently presented results of a three-year study focusing on top health indicators in the community to the Greater Hall Chamber’s Healthcare Committee.
The Healthcare Initiative Consortium is a group of healthcare leaders gathering Hall County data on several top health indicators. The group includes representatives from physician practices (The Longstreet Clinic), Northeast Georgia Medical Center, NGPG Primary Care Clinic at the Hall County Health Department, Brenau University and Good News Clinics. The work of this group dovetails with VISION 2030 and the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce’s Healthcare Committee.
Elements of the study came from medical information system technology made available by consortium members and included data on adult patients 18 and older, seen in calendar year 2011. Information included in the 2011 Healthcare Snapshot was BMI – Body Mass Index based on height and weight ratio; Cholesterol – total cholesterol; A1C (Risk of Diabetes) – blood sugar levels; and Hypertension – blood pressure.
The Total Number of Patients in the Sample was 21,808.
Mean age: 49
18 – 30: 15.6%
30 – 55: 48.5%
55 – 70: 25.6%
70 & Older: 10.3%
The report shows high rates of obesity and diabetes among Gainesville-Hall County’s adult population. “Our community, like many across the country, has an obesity issue. This leads to high incidence of hypertension, cholesterol and diabetic risk,” noted Collins. “The Healthcare Initiative Consortium will now seek to encourage healthy lifestyles and increase access to healthcare. As the group begins collecting data for the 2012 Snapshot, we hope to gather more information from healthcare providers in the market and also provide a Pediatric Snapshot next year.”
For more on the Healthcare Initiative Consortium, the complete 2011 Healthcare Snapshot Study, or VISION 2030, contact Meg Nivens, Executive Director, 770-532-6206. www.vision2030.org
Related Information VISION 2030