The Frederick County Health Department hosted a summit to determine the county’s top health priorities. The results: mental health, senior citizen needs, and safe environments.

The Frederick News-Post reports:

The top public health issues in Frederick County right now are mental health, the needs of senior citizens and safe environments for children, local residents and advocates decided Tuesday.

Over 100 people attended the Frederick County Health Department’s “Priority Setting Summit,” based on findings in the county’s Community Health Assessment released this year.

The summit encouraged advocates, health care professionals and local residents to vote for the top public health priorities in the county.

…

The top priority, which received the most votes at the summit, was mental health care.

Pedersen said mental health has long been an “invisible” issue, but has been brought to the fore with news of drug overdoses and opioid use.

A Thanksgiving deadline has been set for action plans to tackle these priorities.

Read the full article in The Frederick News-Post.