Healthcare and Food in Morgan County

The Healthcare and Food dimensions include access to primary and emergency healthcare, affordability of services, and access to foods that support healthy eating patterns.  A community’s ability to access and afford healthcare affects prevention, early detection, and management of a range of health problems.

What We’ve Learned

In the 2019 community survey, we learned that 92% of Morgan County residents have health insurance, with 58% of plans being provided by an employer.  These numbers have certainly been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, so we can assume that a greater percentage of residents are now uninsured.  A key healthcare concern across the county is service accessibility.  Over 50% of residents have to drive 11+ miles to their primary doctor, which is a challenge for those who have unreliable transportation, and likely contributes to the reported 9% of residents who use the ER for primary healthcare services.

Access to healthy foods is an important factor in community wellbeing, and this is a reported key concern countywide.  Residents report a gap in availability and affordability of fresh foods, and making improvements to food pantries (selection, quality, and hours) is of top importance.

CFMC supports several food pantries across Morgan County, and through our community conversations in 2019, we uncovered many challenges and best practices present among local food aid providers. 

With what we have learned through the 2019 community survey and conversations, CFMC will be able to better contribute to community health strategies and food service programs.  As we strengthen our Community Development programming, we will continue to build relationships with community health leaders and food aid providers, acting as an information conduit and advocate for priority services in each hometown.