Tampa, Fla. — The Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County (DOH-Hillsborough) engaged with county residents to better understand community health needs, in collaboration with AdventHealth, BayCare, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, Moffitt Cancer Center, Suncoast Community Health Centers, Tampa Family Health Centers, and Tampa General Hospital. The findings have been published in the 2019 Community Health Assessment, available on the DOH-Hillsborough website

While COVID-19 has been the focus of public health efforts for much of 2020, the report sheds light on the persistent health concerns in Hillsborough County, many of which play a role in the current situation. Information in the report covers all aspects of health, from rates of diseases to health-related social factors like housing and income, and includes data from a survey answered by over 5,000 residents, community focus groups, the US Census, and more. Residents and health officials identified the following as top health priorities in Hillsborough: mental health and substance use; exercise, nutrition, and weight; and access to health care.

In response to these findings, DOH-Hillsborough is collaborating with health system partners to make improvements in the priority areas over the next five years. The improvement areas can be found in our Community Health Improvement Plan.

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About the Florida Department of Health

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

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