DEPARTMENT: Public Health
FILE TYPE: Regular Information
TITLE
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Update On Community Health And Access
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PURPOSE/ACTION REQUESTED
Receive an update on Community Health and Access in Dakota County.
SUMMARY
Pursuant to Minn. Stat. ? 375A.04, the Dakota County Board of Commissioners is, and performs the duties and exercises the powers of a community health board under Minn. Stat. ch. 145A, and is required to govern and administer those functions as fully as other Dakota County functions, including the responsibility to prevent disease and to promote and protect the public health of Dakota County residents.
The Dakota County Board of Commissioners identified health and accessibility as a priority for 2024.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as the state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or injury. It is a fundamental right of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition. Prerequisites for health include a combination of fundamental conditions, resources, and personal factors. Fundamental conditions include peace, shelter, education, food, income, a stable ecosystem, sustainable resources, social justice, and equity. Personal factors include the ability to self-care, meet basic human needs and being able to be as independent and autonomous as possible.
A healthy community creates and improves the environment and expands the resources for all residents of the community to move towards health. It is one in which all residents have access to the resources they need to live healthy lives and where local groups work together to prevent disease.
Access to comprehensive, quality healthcare services is important for promoting and maintaining health, preventing and managing disease, reducing unnecessary disability and premature death, and achieving health equity for all. Adequate access to care includes having health insurance that ...
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