A look at Jasper County health

The 2024 Annual Report for the Jasper County Health Department shared successes and work accomplished throughout the past fiscal year. From more than $162,000 in grant funding to coming in more than $46,000 under budget, the strong but mighty team leading the health department put in the work to help educate and care for Jasper County citizens.

“The vision is healthy residents and communities in Jasper County,” Jasper County Health Department Administrator Becky Pryor said.

Throughout the past year, the department has once again worked to fulfill its purpose of protecting and improving the health of Jasper County. It has worked to connect with patients and those in need through Jasper County Cares, at meetings, with its resource guide, through referrals, social media, the county website, emails and events.

Throughout the past year, the department has done 212 immunizations with 7,236 audits, including at schools. Other areas the department has worked includes emergency preparedness, opioid education, mental health, substance misuse, homelessness, transportation, safety wellness, childcare and staffing improvements.

One way the department is connecting with the public is through the resource guide, now available on the county website. The resource guide is a detailed list of resources available to Jasper County residents.

“I feel like this is something that has been evolving,” Pryor said. “If someone comes in

constantly updating it. We’re trying to make it as user-friendly as possible. We want it to be the best and everyone has been really great at looking at it.”

To get the word out, the department has had 2.5 million impressions whether through social media or traditional media. It is also a member of the Jasper County Cares Coalition — a group that consists of numerous health, human services, nonprofits, law enforcement, health care, schools, etc. that serve Jasper County and aims to strategically address the health, safety and well-being of the community by connecting resources, programs, awareness and advocacy.

“We feel like we really do that at the Jasper County Cares Coalition,” Pryor said. “We’re doing events, social media, celebrate wins and doing gaps of service. We think it is a huge strength. The meetings are unbelievable, we overflow the room.”

Pryor also shared a snapshot of where Jasper County is according to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. From life expectancy to access to care and social, economic and environmental factors, it is a look into where Jasper County is compared to the rest of the state.

Jasper County makes up a little more than 1 percent of the state’s population at 37,764 people. It has a life expectancy of 79.1 years compared to the state age of 78.7 years.

Currently, the county has a shortage of primary care physicians, which can lead to disparities emerging. There is not a shortage of dental care providers in Jasper County

Residents have experienced on average 4.4 poor mental health days per month, the same number as the state. Poor mental health has been associated with smoking, physical inactivity, housing insecurity, food insecurity and insufficient sleep. It can be seen as depression and anxiety that can affect people’s ability to take part in healthy behaviors.

Like the state, Jasper County has a shortage of mental health care providers.

Of addictive disorders, alcohol is the most commonly misused substance in Iowa and 24.6 percent of adults have reported binge drinking in the county. In 2023, 131 residents received substance use treatment.

In Jasper County, 8.8 percent of people live below the rate of poverty, lower than the 11 percent state average. Of household spending, 23.6 percent of the budget is spent on housing compared to the state average of 23 percent; 4.1 percent of households do not have a vehicle in the county.

For healthy behaviors, 36.3 percent of adults have an unhealthy body weight, the same average as the state. In Jasper County, 7.4 percent or 2,820 people are experiencing food insecurity. In Iowa, 89 of the 99 counties have areas identified with low food access.

Cancer rates in Jasper County are lower than the state average. Jasper has a 464.8 incidence rate (per 100,000) people compared to the state’s 486.8 average. The county has a high rate of death from cancer at 159.4 people (per 100,000), with the state at a 154.2 average. Cancer screening tests are suggested to detect the disease at an earlier stage, making treatment easier and improving the rates of survival.