Survey seeks opinions on maternal, child health needs in Cape County

In an effort to better address the health care needs of women and children in Cape Girardeau County, the county's public health center is conducting an online survey to help determine those needs.

The survey is funded through a grant from the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Bureau of the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

"Funds from the grant are distributed among several programs that target the improvement of the health of women and infants, children and adolescents, and children with special health care needs," said Maria Davis, health educator with the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center.

"We will be using the survey to compare the perceptions of what people believe the issues are and comparing them to what our data is showing," she explained. "Scientific data can only tell us so much, and it is vital to look at both (perceptions and data)."

Results from the survey will be used to prioritize health-related needs of women and children in the county and will lead to development of a five-year action plan to address those needs, Davis said.

A first draft of the action plan, she said, will be developed by the end of May. The plan will then be submitted to the state Department of Health and Senior Services for review and, pending approval, will be implemented by October.

The survey can be found online at www.surveymonkey.com/r/mchneeds. The survey will be open until Monday and possibly longer, Davis said, depending on how many responses are received.

More information about the MCH block grant program may be found at www.health.mo.gov/living/families/mch-block-grant.

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