Community representatives with Centra Health and the Virginia Department of Health Piedmont Health District recently held the first of three meetings to determine the top health priorities in the area and how to develop plans to address them.

The Tuesday, Feb. 26, meeting was the first step in implementing the 2018-2021 Farmville Area Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), a detailed study of the various needs in seven counties including Buckingham, Cumberland and Prince Edward.

It’s telling that the Farmville area contained the smallest group but had the most priorities.

The priorities include access to health care and access to mental health services, which includes resources for substance use, access to affordable housing, transportation and access to healthy foods.

The findings from the CHNA, as well as the recent release of the Virginia Department of Social Services (DSS) profile reports for each county’s DSS office, reveal the critical needs we have in this region.

The profile reports revealed that in each of the three counties in The Herald’s coverage area, poverty rates for all people are between 15-23 percent. Poverty rates for children are between 23-27 percent, approximately one in four children.

While the profile reports show that millions are spent on social services in each county from state and federal funding, the need for accessible health care ranks first in the CHNA.

According to that assessment, 16 percent of about 920 total respondents to the survey said they did not have health care; close to 25 percent reported being publicly insured with programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. Approximately 37 percent reported having employer-provided insurance.

The assessment also cited that approximately 48 percent of respondents said they visit a doctor’s office for health care and 26.8 percent responded using emergency rooms for health care.

Statistical data can only say so much. Poverty, lack of access to health care, lack of access to healthy foods and decent housing is a reality many live with on a daily basis.

The next meeting is March 26 with location to be determined. If any readers represent an organization that addresses poverty or is working toward solutions to address these needs, please consider attending.

This can be an important step toward addressing critical issues in the area.

EMILY HOLLINGSWORTH is a staff reporter for The Farmville Herald and Farmville Newsmedia LLC. Her email address is Emily.Hollingsworth@ FarmvilleHerald.com.