The Kendall County Health Department is asking those who live or work in the county to help determine what the department’s health priorities should be.

The department will share the results of a recent community health improvement survey at its Community Health Summit Breakfast on Jan. 29. Registration for the event is full.

Close to 500 people took the survey, said Kendall County Health Department Executive Director RaeAnn VanGundy.

“That was our goal,” VanGundy said. “We wish we could have exceeded that.”

The department has been gathering information from everyone that it works with. In July, the department met with local leaders and organizations as part of its Community Partner Assessment Event.

At the event, a variety of issues were addressed, including what actions could be taken to address health inequities. About 80 people attended the event.

Kendall County Health Department staff has analyzed the information that was gleaned from the community survey and the survey that was conducted at the Community Partner Assessment Event.

The data will be revealed at the upcoming breakfast.

“We’ve looked at all the data,” VanGundy said. “We’ve pulled out the salient themes.”

Those who attend the upcoming community breakfast will also help the department to identify its top three health priorities to guide its five‑year Community Health Improvement Plan.

Every certified Health Department has a three-to-five-year Community Health Improvement Plan, which outlines how the Health Department and community will address top health priorities. In Illinois, this plan is called an IPLAN, which stands for Illinois Project for Local Area Needs.

The department’s Community Health Improvement Plan 2021-2026 priorities include connecting the most vulnerable to assets that reduce socio-economic duress, supporting mental health and increasing community awareness to protect against vector-borne diseases.

Ticks and mosquitoes can transmit vector-borne diseases such as Lyme disease and West Nile virus.

“This is probably the best way a resident or someone who works in Kendall County can make an actionable impact on their future health,” said Rachael Hendrickson, assistant executive director of the Kendall County Health Department, in talking about the upcoming community breakfast. “At the end of this event, we’re going to have an idea of what our top three health priorities are. People attending this event are going to help us pick what we’re working on for the next five years. I say that’s a pretty meaningful impact to have on your community.”