Community Health Needs Assessment (Coachella Valley)
Author: HARC, Inc.
Publication: Desert Healthcare District and Foundation
Date: 2021
This report demonstrates significant disparities between the rich and the poor. Poverty is heavily concentrated in geographically isolated communities of North Shore, Garnet, Indio Hills, Mecca, Sky Valley and Thousand Palms — all communities in the east end of the valley or north of the Interstate 10 freeway. Communities with higher concentrations of poverty also exhibit lower rates of medical coverage. In many instances people employed in permanent, fulltime positions, still do not have healthcare insurance. It is also communities with high poverty rates that live in poorly designed built environments and are exposed to numerous contaminants.
It is equally important to highlight that more data collection and analysis is needed to better demonstrate the connection between social determinants and the health status of some populations and to design effective interventions. However, regardless of available data, no one knows their reality better than the residents. For this reason, emphasis was placed on capturing community voices throughout th e report. Community residents, after reviewing available data, identified the top five health priorities for Coachella Valley (listed alphabetically):
- Access to Care
- Economic Stability
- Education Access and Quailty
- Environment
- Mental Health
