Space Coast Health Foundation report identifies health needs in Brevard County

Some Space Coast residents face a rising burden of health care costs, and that also is impacting access to needed medical care and affordable prescription drugs.

At the same time, there is a growing acknowledgment in Brevard County of depression issues, along with more difficulty in accessing mental health services.

These are some of the findings noted in the Space Coast Health Foundation’s (SCHF) 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment. Click here to view the full report. The SCHF commissioned the report, which was prepared by the Omaha, Nebraska-based Professional Research Consultants. Professional Research Consultants conducts similar surveys across the United States and has an extensive background in health and wellness concerns that communities face.

The 121-page report for Brevard is benchmarked to previous health needs assessments going back to 2004. The SCHF uses the local findings, along with area health care organizations, to help community leaders identify areas of concerns and where best to direct health resources. In some of the research the results are measured by geographical areas of the Space Coast – North, Central and South Brevard – and compared with available data statewide and with the United States.

Summary of Findings

The following “Areas of Opportunity” represent the significant health needs of the community,based on the information gathered through this Community Health Needs Assessment. From these data, opportunities for health improvement exist in the area with regard to the following health issues (see also the summary tables presented in the following section).

The Areas of Opportunity were determined after consideration of various criteria, including: standing in comparison with benchmark data (particularly national data); identified trends; the preponderance of significant findings within topic areas; the magnitude of the issue in terms of the number of persons affected; and the potential health impact of a given issue.

Areas of Opportunity Identified Through This Assessment
Access to Healthcare Services	Barriers to Access o Inconvenient Office Hours o Cost of Prescriptions o Cost of Physician Visits o Appointment Availability o Finding a Physician o Lack of Transportation  Skipping/Stretching Prescriptions  Difficulty Accessing Children’s Healthcare  Advance Directives  Low Health Literacy
Cancer	Skin Cancer Prevalence Cancer (Non-Skin) Prevalence Female Breast Cancer Screening [Age 50-74] Cervical Cancer Screening [Age 21-65]
Diabetes	Diabetes Prevalence
Heart Disease & Stroke	High Blood Pressure Prevalence High Blood Pressure Management High Blood Cholesterol Management
Mental Health	Diagnosed Depression Symptoms of Chronic Depression Receiving Treatment for Mental Health Difficulty Obtaining Mental Health Services
Nutrition, Physical Activity & Weight	Food Insecurity Overweight & Obesity [Adults] Children’s Physical Activity
Oral Health	Children’s Dental Care

Please click here to view the whole report and learn about the Space Coast Health Foundation.