How healthy is Napa County?

County residents are more likely than most Californians to die of lung cancer or cirrhosis. They are more likely to have asthma or be smokers, and adolescents here are more likely to use alcohol than other teens in the state.

On the bright side, Napa County residents have lower than average incidence of heart disease, obesity, AIDS and diabetes. A higher percentage of Napa County seniors over 65 report their health is anywhere from fair to excellent than do seniors around the state.

These findings are part of the Napa County Community Health Needs Assessment, a result of the efforts of Queen of the Valley Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente, St. Helena Hospital, Napa County Department of Public Health, Clinic Olé, the Napa Valley Vintners and other local representatives.

Although state law requires hospitals to produce a similar report every three years, the assessment — designed to determine the community’s health status and identify areas needing improvement — marks the first time county health officials worked with area hospitals, clinics and others, said Dr. Karen Smith, the public health officer for Napa County.

The assessment, issued in November, identifies Napa County’s top health care needs, including prevention programs for “obesity, nutrition, exercise and wellness,” chronic disease management, acquiring insurance or finding a physician who will accept Medi-Cal and Medicare; access to dental care; alcohol and substance abuse programs; “bicultural/bilingual health care workers,” “lack of awareness of services” and better transportation options.

The report also revealed a lack of access to mental health services.

“Addressing these (mental health) issues in a primary care setting is something that we’re just learning to do,” said Smith.

Napa County Director of Health and Human Services Randy Snowden agreed that access to mental health care may be difficult for some Napa County residents. “Our agency is charged with working with the more acute and more chronic cases. But there are a lot of people in what might be perceived as in the middle whose needs might not be met,” he said.   

Some of the recommendations included in the assessment include preventive, “comprehensive ‘healthy living’ and wellness programs, more community-based mental health services, expansion of affordable dental services and comprehensive, community-based interventions for alcohol abuse and underage drinking,” according to a press release from Napa County Public Health.

The Napa County Community Health Needs Assessment is available at www.co.napa.ca.us/publichealth.