Healthy Lives, Healthy Lancaster: Community Forum Set to Reveal Preliminary Health Data

Healthy Lives, Healthy Lancaster: Community Forum Set to Reveal Preliminary Health Data

The City of Lancaster will host a series of community forums across the city over the next couple of weeks to share and discuss preliminary findings from the Healthy Lives, Healthy Lancaster (HLHL) community survey. The community forums are open to the public as drop-in events with information stations, activities and refreshments, where citizens can learn more about the study findings, ask questions, and engage with City staff and committee members.

SCHEDULE

Monday, July 29
4 - 6 p.m.
Lancaster Recreation Commission
525 Fairview Ave.

Tuesday, July 30
4 - 6 p.m.
Tec Centro
102 Chester St.

Monday, August 5
4 - 6 p.m.
Lancaster Public Library
151 N. Queen St.

Wednesday, August 14
4:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Ebenezer Baptist Church
701 N. Lime St.

"These community forums will be a space for sharing our preliminary study findings and sparking conversations with residents. We want to ensure the data truly reflects our community and to gather feedback from residents about their experiences and what they feel would improve community health," said Craig Walt, Bureau Chief of Health, whose team leads the HLHL initiative.

Launched in September 2023, HLHL is a city-wide study to assess the health and wellbeing of Lancaster City residents and inform future initiatives to foster a safe and healthy community for all. A survey available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Nepali, and Swahili was released in March and promoted at partner locations, as well as through canvassing, community forums, and community events.

"We are dedicated to understanding and addressing the health needs of our residents by engaging with them and our community partners to promote health equity in Lancaster City. By providing this valuable data, we can empower our community partners to better serve citizens and foster a more equitable and healthy Lancaster," said Mayor Danene Sorace.

The HLHL initiative builds on prior community needs assessments and studies that have identified health disparities within the Lancaster city community. The initiative applies the Social Drivers of Health framework to understand the many factors influencing residents' health, including social and community context; neighborhood and built environment; health care access and quality; economic stability; and education access and quality.

The survey will remain open through the end of August. The study will be completed this fall, with a public report and data dashboard that will provide ongoing monitoring and updating of the study data.

To participate in the survey and learn more about HLHL, visit www.healthylancaster.org.

LANGUAGE ACCESS

To receive free interpretation services, citizens should send a request at least 3 business days before the event by calling 717-517-5738 or emailing [email protected], including their name, email, phone number, and preferred language in the request.