April 7, 2022
Students invited to attend April 14 community input meeting on public health
Ryan Allen and Sara Ochoa, Kansas State University master's students in public health, are interning with the Riley County Health Department and invite all K-State students to attend a community input meeting as part of their final project.
The meeting will be at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, April 14, in 111 Leadership Studies Building. Light snacks will be provided and there will be a drawing for a chance to win gift cards. Students can bring a friend and should be prepared to share thoughts and ideas on how the local public health system can be improved.
The Riley County Health Department has undertaken a Community Health Improvement Plan, which is a concerted effort to improve the services and reach that the health department and public health community partners offer to all residents of Riley County.
As part of this process, a comprehensive community needs assessment was distributed to residents of Riley County in fall 2019. This survey sought to gain insights from residents for planning and community improvement. Results of the survey showed a low response from college-aged residents, but students make up a large proportion of Riley County residents because of the large university population.
The current step in the improvement plan is the organization and hosting of community input meetings. Residents can share their ideas, thoughts, concerns and suggestions on how to improve the local public health system to better meet resident needs.
Allen and Ochoa are organizing an input meeting catered to the K-State student population and are seeking student participation. This input is vital to this process and everyone’s voice is valued. This input will directly affect services, including current or new services, provided by the local public health system.