The Sussex County Committee is a partnership of organizations working together across sectors to create healthy communities. For more information, contact County Chair Claudia Pelaez Yepes, MPH.
The next Sussex County Committee meeting will held in Feb. 2024. Check out the event calendar for information on upcoming meetings.
Sussex County Schools Health and Wellness Resource Guide - Winter 2022/2023
Meaningful change requires leadership. States and communities are demonstrating that obstacles can be overcome, effective strategies can be implemented, and schools can play a strong role in improving the lives of young people through physical activity and healthy eating The Child Health Crisis (Obesity) Workgroup of Sussex County collaborated with more than 17 county agencies and organizations, as well as Rutgers University, Montclair State University and The College of St. Elizabeth, to work together to address childhood obesity. The workgroup created a Playbook for Schools that showcases programs and strategies that districts can utilize to increase physical activity and improve eating habits.
The New Jersey Department of Agriculture honors those who have excelled in providing Jersey Fresh produce to school children in our state. Congratulations to Deborah Fisher and the Sussex County Child Health Crisis Workgroup for being selected as New Jersey's "Top Tomato" for the Fall of 2022!
See how Sussex County stacks up compared to the NJ Healthy People 2020 goals
Get all the facts and explore the Sussex County indicators on the Community Dashboard
Our 2021 Community Health Needs Assessment Process
Building on our shared community health needs assessments (CHNAs) from 2016 and 2019, the 2021 assessment focuses on both individual health related issues and outcomes along with the larger social determinants of health. Overall, Sussex County has significant strengths and assets and was ranked number seven in the state for overall health outcomes according to the 2018 County Health Rankings. Further information on Sussex County’s assets is included throughout the CHNA. Despite the county’s overall good health and wealth, there are significant disparities from one community, or zip code, to another. This year, the NJHC launched the Social Determinants of Health Community Survey. With 23 participants from Sussex County, this survey placed a larger emphasis on letting the perspectives of members who live and work in our communities shape our work. It is our hope that the information and data sources within this report will help NJHC partners and other community stakeholders dig deeper into these issues in order to develop effective strategies and solutions for improved health and well-being.
Sussex County 2021 CHNA Priority Areas
NJHC partner organizations, with the support of the NJHC Data Committee, worked to analyze, identify, and prioritize the current health needs of Sussex County. The five topics listed below represent the tops needs of the county as identified in this assessment.
See the section titled "Sussex County Assessment Process" below for a full description of the assessment and prioritization process.
The homeownership rate is 71% in Sussex County in 2017, a significant decline from years prior. Only 49% of respondents to the Community Voice survey reported that there is enough affordable housing that it is safe and well-maintained in their neighborhood.
In 2017, the majority (94%) of adults (19-64 years-old) in Sussex County had some type of health insurance; however, coverage was significantly lower for Hispanic/Latino residents (79%).
In Sussex County, adults have an average of four poor mental health days each month and 11% of adults have more than 14 poor mental health days each month (i.e., they experience frequent mental distress). In 2018, 127 naloxone administrations were given by law enforcement and emergency medical services responders in Sussex County.
Maternal and Child Health
Some of the maternal and child health goals for Healthy People 2020 and 2030 are to reduce the infant death rate to less than 5 deaths per 1,000 live births, to reduce the percentage of babies born with low birth weight to 8%, to promote healthy weight of mothers before and during pregnancy as a predictor of infant health outcomes, and to expand the percentage of women who receive prenatal care within the first trimester of their pregnancies to 80.5%.
In Sussex County, the average travel time to work is 38 minutes and 84% of workers 16 years-old or more drives alone to work; these are worse than both the New Jersey average (32 minutes, 72%) and the US average (26 minutes, 76%). Furthermore, both these measures have increased over time.