During 2021, the Montgomery County Department of Health faced many challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic when implementing the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). Despite the challenges we have faced, the department has been able to effectively: 

• Adopt the Results-Based Accountability concept to develop our county level health reports
• Transfer our current programs, initiatives, and performance measures into the online Clear Impact Scorecard platform
• Shift to a web based system for our Community Health Assessment, CHIP, and State of the County Health Report
• Link to the HNC 2030 Scorecard to create greater awareness of population accountability

Leading Cause of Death 

In 2019, the three leading causes of death in Montgomery County were Heart Disease, Cancer, and Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease. This accounted for nearly 50% of all deaths in Montgomery County. 

Source: North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics (2019 is the most recent published data) 

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases and Deaths 

The data presented by the North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics regarding the leading cause of death in 2019 does not depict the impact that Coronavirus (COVID-19) had on our community in 2020-2021. Since March 2020, Montgomery County has noted 5,020 total cases of COVID-19 (Figure 1) in our community. Montgomery County has recorded 111 total deaths (Figure 2) attributed to COVID -19 from March 14, 2020 to January 1, 2022. Each confirmed case of COVID-19 is reported with data on race, ethnicity, and age (Figure 3, 4, 5) identified. Testing efforts in Montgomery County are a continued effort through the Montgomery County Department of Health, third party testing locations, and our community partners. The most current data on COVID-19 in Montgomery County can be found online in the Montgomery County COVID Dashboard. Additional information can be located on the State COVID Dashboard at https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov. 

Montgomery County COVID-19 Vaccinations

Montgomery County vaccination data can be found on the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Data Dashboard. As of January 4, 2022, 42% (n = 11,516) of Montgomery County’s population was fully vaccinated with 45% (n = 12,233) being partially vaccinated. Current vaccination efforts in the county continue to reach the target goal set forth by NCDHHS.

COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19 has continued to be a concern in Montgomery County that has had a lasting impact on every person and their overall health during 2021. Since the beginning of the pandemic in March of 2020, Montgomery County has reported 5,020 cases (as of January 2022) of COVID-19 and over 100 deaths attributed to COVID-19. To diminish the impact of COVID-19 on our community, we focused on creating new partnerships and maintain current programs when feasible to support the community during such a difficult time. Throughout the pandemic, many of our community members suffered from food insecurity. This was partially impacted by the decrease in volunteers for many food pantries due to such a large portion of the volunteer base being a vulnerable population. Due to a lack of food delivery options in the area, many individuals relied on food pantries or family members to ensure their food needs were met. 

Community Centered Health 

Community Centered Health 
Community centered health involves shifting the focus from individuals to the community and works to prevent health issues before they require treatment. Better Together Montgomery, which consists of representatives from local community organizations, is using grant funds from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of North Carolina to use community centered health to improve food access and economic stability to the Peabody and Brutonville communities of Montgomery County. CCH has three main areas of focus: 

1.    Community members as leaders and partners
2.    Community level changes in policies, systems, and environments 
3.    Clinical shifts prioritize creating health 

The group paused many current projects in 2020 due to the rapid rate of COVID transmission in the community and focused on supplying the current needs of community members through local organizations. New and current group initiatives can be found in the New Initiatives Since Last CHA portion of the document. 
 

COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts

Due to the impacts COVID-19 had on our community, many staff within the work place devoted more time to COVID-19 related activities. These activities included, but are not limited to, COVID-19 testing and mass vaccination clinics. Though these initiatives had taken a forefront during the course of 2021, our clinic remained opened on a modified schedule to continue to provide services to those in Montgomery County. 

Conquering Motherhood 
Throughout 2021, our health education staff were able to resume select outreach initiatives regarding infant mortality and maternal health through an online platform (Zoom). With the use of technology, educators were able to provide information on safe sleep practices and postpartum depression to new or current parents. These online classes were a part of the current Conquering Motherhood outreach initiative hosted by the Department of Health in partnership with Improving Community Outcomes for Maternal and Child Health (ICO4MCH). The Conquering Motherhood program targeted new or current parents seeking valuable information on topics such as infant feeding, car seat safety, postpartum depression, and general infant care. Meetings for the ICO4MCH initiatives resumed utilizing an online meeting platform and advertisement was conducted through a variety of social media platforms. 

Car Seat Safety 
Car seat safety classes were paused briefly due to a rise in COVID-19 cases in Montgomery County. Once the COVID-19 rate returned to a low rating for our community, we were able to restart our car seat safety class for parents in our area. Through this program, we were able to continue our partnership with Safe Kids North Carolina and provide valuable information and resources to parents in our community regarding the safety of their child while in or around the vehicle. 

Community Centered Health 

Better Together Montgomery uses a community centered health approach to focus on the individuals in the Peabody and Brutonville communities. Due to the rapid rate of COVID transmission in our county, many predefined initiatives were placed on a hold until it was safe to conduct in-person outreach. During this time, core team meetings transitioned to an online meeting platform as the group reassessed the current needs of each community. Members from the core team were able to work together to implement a community garden in the Brutonville community to assist with the food needs of those in the surrounding area. This effort was a combination of community participation, core team assistance, and community partners. As this work continues throughout 2022, the group will continue to connect with the community to gain insight and feedback as they work towards improved food access and economic stability.