South Carolina’s first comprehensive State Health Assessment was drafted last year to create awareness about health issues and opportunities of improvement that impact the overall health of our state.  Because the report is 346 pages, we will tackle the report in upcoming blog posts and provide a brief summary of each section.  Stay tuned for more posts as we break down South Carolina’s health, page by page.

Whose idea was the South Carolina Health Assessment Report?
The Alliance for a Healthier South Carolina, a diverse group of more than 50 state and community leaders and organizations, serves as the backbone organization for Live Healthy South Carolina (LHSC). LHSC brings organizations and leaders together to assess population health outcomes, identify data-driven priorities, and recommend best practices that can be implemented at the state and local levels.    The SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is among this group, providing epidemiology information as well as compiling other health data.  

What exactly is the South Carolina Health Assessment Report?
The Live Healthy South Carolina State Health Assessment is a comprehensive description of the health status of South Carolinians and will be used to inform health improvement plans at the state and community levels.  It also serves as a resource for organizations that need access to health data.

Why is this report necessary?
The findings in this assessment can help ensure the opportunity for South Carolina’s health and well-being is a priority.  For everyone who lives, works, worships, and vacations in our great state, the assessment can equip us to make better health decisions as well as meet the challenges of today and tomorrow by contributing to a culture of health that values every South Carolinian.
The assessment summarizes data from the following areas:  demographics, health indicators, leading causes of death and hospitalizations, cross-cutting, access to health care, maternal and infant health, chronic disease and risk factors, infectious disease, injury, physical environment, and behavioral health.

Although this is the first state assessment, the goal is to assess state-level health risk factors and outcomes every three to five years and use the data to identify priority areas to be addressed in South Carolina.

View the comprehensive report:  http://livehealthy.sc.gov/sites/livehealthy/files/Documents/SHA%20chapters/sc_sha_full_report_nov.18.pdf