Thumbs up to Nicollet County Public Health and its partners for a recent healthcare education and action program. The initiative reaches out to county residents and helps them access healthcare and develops community strategies that address issues from loneliness to youth substance abuse.
The county drew from its Community Health Assessment report to develop its Community Health Improvement Plan with input from stakeholders and the public. The report identified five top healthcare priorities including loneliness (connectedness), youth mental health and substance abuse, health literacy and transportation. The county public health department will lead the way partnering with other groups in the community.
One strategy to help connect people and address loneliness will encourage participating in St. Peter’s Community Thread, a once-a-month community meal for anyone to come and listen to topics chosen by the community. Public health will launch a “neighbor to neighbor” campaign designed to support everyday life and during emergencies.
Healthcare providers, public health and others will be building more robust information networks to make sure people are finding how to access healthcare and the resources available. Providers will be encouraged to offer information in English, Spanish and Somali and simplify navigation of health services.
The transportation focus calls for communities to develop active transportation plans like trails and walking areas to encourage healthy activities but also to make it easier for people to get to their healthcare appointments.
In the area of youth substance abuse, the plan calls for supporting and expanding school mental health navigator programs and strengthening school-based mental health programs. In the area of youth substance abuse, the plan calls for restricting access to tobacco and vaping products, creating social host ordinances and supporting drug abuse awareness programs.
Nicollet County organizers say the effort focuses on action and specific strategies to make a difference. The county will make sure the report doesn’t just sit on a shelf.
There are few things that can improve community health while keeping down costs as much as preventive plans of action. Nicollet County deserves praise for taking the initiative and engaging its community for better health.
Public safety funding will reap dividends
Thumbs up to legislators and Gov. Tim Walz for approving public safety training dollars in 2023 that cities such as Mankato have recently used to upgrade equipment, provide training and purchase public safety equipment.
Mankato received some $1.956 million of the $300 million Walz and Democrats allocated to all public safety in the state. The city recently spent $172,000 on upgraded tactical gear and body armor designed to protect officers against high-powered weapons. It also included ballistic helmets and advance shields to protect officers in civil disturbances.
About $50,000 will provide training on management education for emerging leaders and special firefighter training for aircraft-related crashes and other emergencies.
Some of the money will go to upgrade a second-hand emergency mobile command center bought from the city of Eden Prairie.
While Walz and Democrats have come under fire for what the GOP says was a wasted $17 billion surplus in 2023, some of that money went toward these long-requested public safety needs.
The funding has very few strings attached, did not create new mandates and there is no deadline for spending it. It’s allowing local officials to decide best how to use state funds. We should not forget these kinds of investments made by Walz and the Legislature during the campaign this fall.