Community Health Survey Underway in Eagle River Valley

Sally Welsh

EVBH is sponsoring a community health survey to gauge quality of life, community engagement and behavioral health needs.

Vail, CO ― Residents in the Eagle River Valley have the opportunity to help Eagle Valley Behavioral Health (EVBH), an outreach of Vail Health, improve the quality of life in the region. 
 
Phone surveys with approximately 400 individuals in the area will be conducted by the national research firm PRC of Omaha, Nebraska, throughout March. An online survey will also be available at EagleValleyBH.org/CommunitySurvey. The confidential survey will ask questions about residents’ community connections, quality of life, and health needs related to mental health and alcohol use. This survey was first conducted in January 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the community. The same survey questions will be used in 2022 to identify areas in which the pandemic has impacted behavioral health and the sense of community. 
 
“Previous surveys have focused on broader issues in the community, and this survey focuses on behavioral health issues, providing us with a baseline and ongoing data,” said Chris Lindley, Chief Population Health Officer for Vail Health and Executive Director of Eagle Valley Behavioral Health. “The intent is to conduct this survey every two years, allowing us to back up with data what our communities have been saying anecdotally and use data to identify what is working and what still needs to be addressed.”
 
The households that receive a phone survey will be selected at random, and both the online and phone survey will take less than 10 minutes to complete. Phone and online surveys will be available in English and Spanish.
 
“It is crucial that we have a variety of demographics that respond to the survey because we have a variety of people that reside in our valley,” said Lindley. “Our population in Eagle County is more than 30 percent Hispanic, and input from everyone is vital to creating a more holistic view of what is happening in the behavioral health space in our community.” 
 
The results of the survey will help local organizations understand where the greatest needs exist and identify ways to strengthen the services and community connections that improve quality of life for all residents. 
 
For more information regarding the survey, or to take the online survey, visit EagleValleyBH.org/CommunitySurvey

About Eagle Valley Behavioral Health (EVBH)
Created in April 2019 thanks to a $60-million commitment by Vail Health, Eagle Valley Behavioral Health was established to lead the community collaboration, ensuring access to superior behavioral health services for everyone in the Eagle River Valley. EVBH has partnered with more than 25 local organizations to collaborate on behavioral health initiatives and provide the critical change needed to ensure a long-term vision for a robust, sustainable behavioral health system. For a list of community partners, as well as local behavioral health providers, visit eaglevalleybh.org.