Ottawa County ranks 1st out
of 83 counties in Michigan in Health Outcomes, according to the 2017 County
Health Rankings. The Rankings,
released every year by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of
Wisconsin Population Health Institute, show us that where we live matters to
our health and that good health is influenced by many factors beyond medical
care including jobs, housing, education, poverty and more. Ottawa County has
maintained or improved in 71 percent of the 35 measures, and did as well or
better than the State of Michigan in 86 percent of the 35 measures.
Ottawa County’s overall rank and sub-rankings
have not changed much from 2016. Ranks can be influenced by new measures or a
change in the methods for current measures. A rank may also improve or worsen
not due to changes in Ottawa County’s measures, rather from changes in other
counties that experienced health gains or losses.
Ottawa County Strengths
- Lower overall mortality
- Lower adult smoking
- Lower teen birth rate
- Lower physical inactivity
- Lower unemployment
- Lower injury deaths
Ottawa County Opportunities
for Improvement
- Adult obesity (28% Ottawa
County compared to 26% top U.S. performers)
- Excessive drinking (21% Ottawa
County compared to 12% top U.S. performers)
- Sexually transmitted infections
(chlamydia is the highest reportable disease
in Ottawa County)
- Ratio of population to primary
care physicians, dentists and mental health providers
- Physical Environment continues to be the lowest
sub-ranking (as a result of higher housing costs and long commute/driving
alone)
The County Health Rankings show how
the Ottawa County community works together to improve health outcomes. This is
evident in the Community Health Improvement Plan we’ve been implementing and
making much progress. For example, the Ottawa Pathways to Better
Health program was created to assist people with accessing community services
to improve health outcomes.
Sources
County
Health Rankings
Ottawa
County rank
Ottawa
County Health Improvement Plan
Ottawa
Pathways to Better Health
Ottawa County
Community Health Needs Assessment Summary
Ottawa County 2015 Youth Assessment Survey
Ottawa
County Department of Public Health 2016 Annual Report
The Ottawa County Cultural Intelligence Committee is partnering with LAUP (Latin Americans United for Progress) and The Herrick District Library during the month of April to display a collection of stories known as “Nuestra Comunidad Hispana” (Our Hispanic Community). This project was launched as part of Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations and is a result of a collaborative effort between the City of Holland, LAUP, Herrick District Library, Holland Museum, GVSU, GVSU's Kutsche Office of Local History and Michigan Humanities Council which focused on Holland and Grand Haven, Michigan's Latino communities.
The Nuestra Comunidad Hispana project collected over 50 oral histories between August and November 2016. Those materials are permanently archived in the Herrick District Library. All individuals who participated in the project, including 11 Ottawa County employees, received a free copy of their photograph and oral history at a special reception held February 28, 2017 at Herrick District Library.
These storyboards are being displayed from March 30 through April 25 in five county buildings: Ottawa County Courthouse in Grand Haven, Holland District Court, Community Mental Health (Administration/Clinic Building in Holland), the Department of Public Health (Holland) and the Fillmore Administration Office.
Anyone interested in viewing or hearing materials from the collection is encouraged to visit the Herrick District Library, 300 S. River Avenue, Holland, Michigan after April 25. The materials will be open to the public and will be available through the Genealogy Department.
Click the link below to see the picture gallery of the reception:
Reception Picture Gallery
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In December of 2015 the Ottawa County Central Dispatch
Authority (OCCDA) Policy Board approved a total replacement of our existing 25+
year old VHF radio system. Ottawa County
is moving to the State of Michigan MPSCS 800 MHz radio system. This will give us modern technology and true
interoperability with other agencies beyond our borders. Since OCCDA made this decision, Allegan and
Kent Counties have also made the decision to move to the State of Michigan
MPSCS 800 MHz radio system. One of the
key items that was considered in committing to the project was that the State
of Michigan has eliminated annual mic fees, which in the past had been $200 per
radio annually. They have moved to a one
time activation fee for each radio which OCCDA will cover in this project for
the initial equipment deployment.
The entire $13.5 million dollar project is being funded
through the Ottawa County dedicated 911 millage, and no additional user fees,
or municipal charge backs will be used.
With the 800 MHz radio project, OCCDA is currently
constructing a 10 site simulcast system that will provide excellent coverage in
our service area. In-building and on the
street coverage levels have been guaranteed by Motorola to meet the needs of
the Public Safety agencies, and citizens in our service area. OCCDA will be
providing all Public Safety agencies with the initial 2,000 + radios for their
respective departments.
Construction of the system which includes 3 new radio towers
(Jamestown, Conklin, and Grand Haven) is on schedule and we expect to activate
the new system in December of 2017. The
system sites are partnerships of OCCDA with the following entities: Ottawa
County, the City of Grand Haven, the City of Hudsonville, the City of Holland,
Jamestown Charter Township, Chester Township, and the State of Michigan MPSCS
radio system.
As the sites become active, testing with OCCDA staff and
Public Safety agencies will take place.
We will not convert to the new system until all 10 sites are
active. We will keep our existing VHF
system active for Fire Paging and other agencies that will still use some of
the infrastructure until they upgrade their equipment. In the future, once the infrastructure is in
place, there will be opportunities for other non-Public Safety agencies (i.e.
Road Commission, Parks, Schools, Public Works, Schools), to migrate to the
system when they consider upgrading or replacing their existing radio systems.
OCCDA is in active discussions with Allegan and Kent
Counties to explore new opportunities for backup and redundancy once all 3
Counties are up and running on the MPSCS 800 MHz system, which should be
completed by year end 2018.
The 20th Circuit Court
is pleased to announce the Adult Drug Treatment Court (drug court), a specialty
program for non-violent felony offenders with acute substance use disorders,
has been selected as one of nine “mentor courts” in the United States by the
United States Department of Justice and the National Association of Drug Court
Professionals. This distinction is
awarded to high-performing drug courts that demonstrate exemplary practices and
operate with fidelity to the drug court model.
The drug court accepted its first
participant in January 2005 and has since served over 250 people. The drug court has a 67% graduation rate and
a 75% retention rate, which is very good for the intensive requirements that
participants must complete. Furthermore,
a study conducted by Grand Valley State University in 2014 demonstrates the adult
drug treatment court significantly reduces new crime and repeated drug and
alcohol use among high risk and high need offenders. Notably, drug court participants were 73%
less likely to commit a new crime within three years of discharge from the drug
court when compared to a similar group of people who were sentenced to
traditional probation.
Judge Feyen presides over the
drug court. Andy Brown (Coordinator) and Emily Achterhof (Case Manager) are the
two court staff who make the drug court work on the day-to-day. Their positions are 100% grant funded with
state and federal dollars. A large part
of Andy’s job is writing grant proposals, administering awarded grants, and
managing relations with the drug courts nine partnering agencies. Emily works hands-on with the participants
and coordinates services with treatment providers, medical providers, probation
officers, and recovery coaches. Both
Andy and Emily are very passionate about their jobs and committed to helping
the participants in the drug court.
2017 is shaping up to be the most
exciting year on record for the drug court.
In addition to being selected a national mentor court, staff will be
presenting at four national conferences (one presentation with the American
Society for Addiction Medicine, two presentations with the National Association
for Drug Court Professionals, and one presentation with the Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration), and have several applications pending
for statewide presentations.
Furthermore, two studies are being conducted that are examining
recidivism outcomes and cost-effectiveness of the drug court. Both studies are raising the national bar on
research methodologies used and will be submitted for publication in academic
journals.
The drug court team is honored to
have received recognition as a mentor court and, never ones to rest easy, are
already exploring ways to keep making the drug court better.
Ottawa
& Allegan County, lace up your walking shoes & get ready for a free
6-week walking challenge.
Ottawa
and Allegan Parks and Recreation and Department of Public Health are teaming up
to bring the community another Step it Up! Walking Challenge this
spring. Participants will “virtually walk”
240 miles along regional trails in Michigan. The challenge begins on Monday,
April 3!
This free, 6-week
program is designed to help participants spring into fitness and get moving
after a cold winter. Participants of all fitness levels are invited to join -
weekly prizes are available.
Optional group walks
will be offered for those interested in getting their weekly steps in with a
group while checking out Ottawa & Allegan County Parks (schedule below).
Each walk will be led by a naturalist guide. Different pace groups will be available.
Participants will be
able to track their individual progress online, including their cumulative
steps taken. The Ottawa County GIS Department designed a map to
watch progress along the virtual trail. "When you login to track your
steps, you'll be able to see the weekly goal markers and also track your
individual progress. It was great to team up with GIS again to create an
interactive component," said Parks spokesperson Jessica VanGinhoven.
Ottawa County will also
release its new and improved tracking system for participants that was
developed over the winter. "Participants will be able to track their
progress on a weekly basis, just like before, but we've added the option to
track progress daily," said VanGinhoven. "The tracking program is
also mobile-friendly, so you can record your activity from your phone. These
changes were made based on participant feedback and should make tracking
activity much easier."
Past participants also
enjoyed the program. In a survey following the program walk participants
reported:
- Great
program to encourage people to exercise and use the county park system.
- I
loved this program! It motivated me to get walking again! I moved back to
Holland two years ago and I learned a lot about the parks in Ottawa County
through this program! I will be buying a pass and keep visiting our parks!
Thank you very much!
- It
has helped us lose weight and feel so much better.
- Prior
to this challenge my daily steps were closer to 5,000 and since doing
program I'm between 7,000-10,000 and some days way more. It challenged me
to park further away and keep pedometer with me when walking around my
house for a true count of my steps. Thanks for the motivation.
URL: http://www.miottawa.org/parks/stepitup.htm Registration closes April
10.
Group Walk Schedule
April 8: Pine Bend Park, 10-11 AM
April 8: Outdoor Discovery Center, 10-11 AM
April 13: New Richmond Bridge Park, 10-11 AM
April 13: Rosy Mound Natural Area, 5:30-6:30 PM
April 22: Riley Trails, 10-11 AM
April 22: Bysterveld Park, 10-11 AM
April 27: Grand Ravines (North), 5:30-6:30 PM
May 2: Hemlock Crossing, 5:30-6:30 PM
May 6: Kirk Park, 3-4 PM
May 8: Allegan Sports Complex, 10-11 AM
May 11: Connor Bayou 5:30-7 PM - This walk
will be followed by a family-friendly party at the Connor Bayou cabin!
While HWA is relatively new in West Michigan, New England has been
fighting the pest for over a decade. On March 23, Allison Kanoti, a forest entomologist
with Maine’s Forest Service presented at the Ottawa County Parks Nature
Education Center at a public meeting. Kanoti shared her experience managing for
HWA on the leading front of the East Coast invasion. The presentation was
followed by a question and answer session. There were about 50 attendees. The
presentation was streamed live via Facebook for those who were unable to
attend. Over 350 people viewed the presentation online. It can be viewed here: http://bit.ly/slow-the-spread_hwa
Important items of note from the presentation include the
following:
-
An
educated and engaged public is crucial to fighting the pest. A turning
point in Maine’s fight against HWA was when the general public, in addition to
land managers and biologists, began looking for it.
-
For many
reasons, HWA is difficult to detect. The fight against HWA will be
long-term.
-
Treatment
is relatively easy and very successful. The challenge is surveying. A large
effort is needed to establish the current distribution.
-
The pest
spreads slowly and is treatable, but we cannot wait for our trees to die to
take action. We must begin to survey for the pest now, even though most of
our hemlocks, including those infected, may look healthy.
Kanoti shared that our passionate community, experience
treating invasive species, and the potential for funding through the Great
Lakes Restoration Initiative set us up for success.
Please join us at the Nature
Education Center for our next public meeting: Saturday, April 8 from 12-1
pm. Learn more at: saveMIhemlocks.org
April 20, 2017, 5-6:30 pm - brief program begins at 5:15
Nature Education Center, located in Hemlock Crossing County
Park: 8115 W Olive Rd, West
Olive 49460
Learn more about the Ottawa County Parks Foundation.
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I am excited to announce our Fourth Annual Forum. This year's theme, Work Redefined: Space, Culture and Technology, focuses on the changing work
environment. Haworth is sponsoring our
keynote speaker: Mr. Rex Miller. Rex is an author, speaker and co-authored the
book Change Your Space Change Your Culture. Rex will be kicking off this year’s forum
with The Culture Advantage | Creating a Workplace that Leads to
Transformation and Growth. The world surprises
us weekly with new and novel challenges. Healthy and resilient cultures adapt
through innovation. The most innovative organizations approach culture by
design. Our afternoon lead speaker is
Mr. David Behen, Director of the Department of Technology, Management and
Budget and CIO for the State of Michigan.
David offers an insight into the technology priorities for the State and
their efforts to keep Michigan on the leading edge. Ms. Erin Frisch, Director for DHHS and Office
of Child Support along with Mr. Keegan Malone, Policy Analyst for the Office of
Child Support will co-present on the Alternative
Work Location Program. We’ll also
have vendors present who can provide current information on products and
services to meet your immediate needs. Finally, we’ll wrap up the day with Phil
Bertolini, CIO and Deputy County Executive for Oakland County, who is back by
popular demand, to bring technology in the public sector to a level you can
appreciate addressing the day-to-day challenges we all face. The registration site is open. I’ve provided the link for more information
and to register. I hope to see you
there.
Register here!
Ottawa County and the
City of Grand Haven have teamed up to bring nationally-acclaimed speaker
Charles Marohn to Grand Haven on May 18.
Charles will explore issues relating to development patterns,
infrastructure, financial resiliency, and quality placemaking practices in
local communities. The all-day workshop
will open up new ways of thinking about development by examining both new
concepts and old-but-forgotten concepts.
Charles “Chuck” Marohn is the author of Thoughts on Building Strong Towns (Volume I) and the forthcoming Volume II. He is also the author of A World Class Transportation System, and you can hear his voice as
the host of the “Strong Towns Podcast.”
He has spoken in dozens of towns and cities across North America.
Thanks to the generosity of sponsors, the cost for the
workshop is $15 per person. Workshop
sponsors include the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation, Lakeshore
Advantage, Midwest Construction Group Inc., Nederveld, Prein & Newhof, and
Williams & Works.
Register
Online
If you want to learn more about the Strong Towns Workshop,
please contact the Ottawa County Planning and Performance Improvement
Department at plan@miottawa.org or (616)
738-4852.
May 18
Main Event: 8:30am to 4:00pm. Lunch provided.
After-Hours
Networking: 5:00pm to 7:00pm
Location
Main
Event:
Grand
Haven Community Center
421
Columbus Avenue
Grand
Haven, MI 49417
After-Hours
Networking:
Grand
Armory Brewing
17
S. 2nd Street
Grand
Haven, MI 49417
Cost
$15 per
person
$25 per
person after May 1
AICP continuing education
credits available!
Register
online.
Click here for the most recent update, for older updates click here.
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