The Cambridge Public Health Department is conducting a survey through May to identify the top health, environmental, and social justice concerns of residents.
The Cambridge Health Survey takes about 10 minutes to complete and can be accessed at: http://bit.ly/2019-Cambridge-Health-Survey. All input is anonymous.
The health department has received over 500 completed surveys since April and hopes to triple that number in May.
“We strongly encourage residents to take the Cambridge Health Survey,” said Claude Jacob, the city’s Chief Public Health Officer and director of the Cambridge Public Health Department. “Your voice matters to us, and we need strong input from the community to create a successful plan for addressing the health needs of the city.”
The health department is especially interested in hearing from people who belong to groups that traditionally have not had a strong “voice at the table” when it comes to determining community health priorities. To better understand the concerns of these communities, the health department is speaking directly with small groups of youth, residents with disabilities, American-born black residents, LGBTQ+ residents, and residents who do not speak English as a first language.
Findings from the survey and focus groups will be published in the forthcoming 2019 Cambridge Community Health Assessment. This report will describe the city’s unmet health and social needs, identify factors impacting health outcomes, describe the current infrastructure for meeting these needs, and identify strategies for engaging organizations and residents in creating a healthy city for all.
The survey is available online in English, Amharic, Arabic, Haitian Creole, Mandarin, Portuguese, and Spanish. Translated print copies can be obtained by contacting the health department at 617-665-3826.