By the time Tyson McGreer heard the preliminary results of a community health survey of Thomas County, wheels were spinning in his head.

"Just at first blush, it's exciting to substantiate some of the ideas we have and maybe get some more," said McGreer, who is city manager in Colby, Kansas, Thomas County's largest town.

McGreer isn't the only one who's excited by data collected and put together under the direction of Judy Johnston, M.S., RD/LD, research instructor in the Department of Population Health at KU School of Medicine-Wichita. Also attending Johnston's presentation, delivered over tacos in the back room of a popular Mexican restaurant, were representatives of several county agencies and Citizens Medical Center in Colby, which paid for the survey.

The survey was designed to gauge both what Thomas County residents want in health and wellness resources, and what they perceive to be currently available. The information can help McGreer and others plan for the future and also help the county qualify for funding from outside sources.

Johnston has overseen similar surveys in other Kansas counties - starting with Kearny County in 2016, Haskell and Grant counties in 2017, and then Thomas County last year. Her team of trained volunteers just finished collecting data in Wilson County, and she has plans to survey Chase County this summer.

The surveys arose out of conversations between Johnston and Benjamin Anderson, president and CEO of Kearny County Hospital, who initially asked Johnston to find out what residents wanted from their health care system.

"I told him I wouldn't do that because health care is so much more than the health care system," she said. "You should be concerned about resources throughout the whole community."

Anderson agreed. The hospital has used the survey data to leverage more than $1 million in grants for areas ranging from adolescent behavioral health to community greenhouses.

"Rural counties often can't get grants because they don't have county-level data," said Johnston, who has been in public health more than 30 years.

"At best they might have regional data. The other piece that's critical (in obtaining grants) is you have to be able to demonstrate community collaboration. This project really does both. Because it brings people together from all these different sectors, and they all have some ownership in it that way. So it's win-win."

To get the necessary information in Thomas County, more than 30 volunteers received training in how to conduct a survey. They collected questionnaires from 1,442 out of 3,233 households in the county, or about 45 percent, in all income ranges.

"That's really a good representation of the community," Johnston said.

In addition to visiting homes, volunteers went to worksites, churches and other gathering spots. Thomas County has a very small minority community of Hispanic residents, but survey takers made sure they were included, Johnston said.

The survey was designed to get residents' views on eight different community sectors that impact health, including the health care system, public health, workplaces, daycare and preschools, schools, churches, K-State Research and Extension, and the overall community environment.

The survey consisted of 12 questions, some with multiple parts. One asked residents to pick a definition of "health/wellness" from four options, while several others asked them to specify their own role in achieving good health. Others asked what services residents believe are available or needed from health care providers, public health agencies, worksites and other sectors. The surveys are anonymous, although residents were asked to provide demographic data such as age and income.

From the survey results, it's clear many employees would like exercise facilities to be available in their workplace, as well as incentives for healthy behavior. Parents want behavioral and psychological counseling available in schools, along with efforts to keep kids from smoking. Medical care for high-risk pregnancies is a concern. As in other areas of western Kansas, Thomas County residents want to make sure environmental monitoring of pesticide use and water quality takes place. There's an interest in healthy eating, as well as a desire for more information on health in general.

The next phase of the community survey, which continues through the summer of 2019, is in the form of 10- to 12-person focus groups convened to discuss in-depth results in each sector. People who took the survey were asked if they want to participate in the groups, which focus on ways to address priorities identified in the survey.

"We're trying to define ‘What kind of things do you think should be available?'" she said. "Who would be the right person or organization to do that?" For instance, in the area of school counseling, would a psychologist be required to visit with students in person, or could it be done by somebody else or remotely via telemedicine? Those conversations will be transcribed and analyzed as part of the final report.

When McGreer heard about the plan for focus groups, he hoped one of Colby's city council members could be at each meeting. "I can see this being very useful in terms of what the city is trying to do," he said, mentioning public exercise facilities and healthy eating initiatives.

Greg Unruh, CEO and president of Citizens Health, was just as enthusiastic as McGreer. Unruh believes the survey will help the county develop a strategic plan that doesn't gather dust on a shelf someplace.

"We have a chance to do something good," he said. Community collaboration is a key component of the use of this data for planning. The process is designed for use across sectors and organizations to plan for the whole community.

That's something Judy Johnston hopes will happen.

This article was first published in KU School of Medicine-Wichita's Embark Magazine.