Making an Impact on Chronic Disease

Chronic diseases are conditions that last one year or more and require ongoing medical attention, limit activities of daily living, or both. Chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. In Lorain County, according to the Public Health Community Health Assessment (2022), heart disease and diabetes are among the top 10 causes of death, with heart disease being at the very top.  

Many risk factors for chronic diseases are non-modifiable, such as age, gender, genetics, and sometimes ethnicity.  However, a short list of modifiable behaviors, including tobacco use, poor nutrition, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol use, create significant risks for chronic disease.

At Lorain County Health & Dentistry (LCH&D), our providers use a team-based approach to help patients identify things that are within their control to make the biggest impact on their health outcomes.  Through education, and by helping patients to set functional lifestyle goals, we assist them in achieving optimal wellness.   

Each month, we pull data from our electronic health records system to track Blood Pressure (BP) measurements of patients who have a diagnosis of Hypertension. Throughout 2023, these patients had a BP below 140/90 during their most recent visit 85% of the time – a tremendous achievement! For our patients with Diabetes, last year, 76% had a hemoglobin A1C considered controlled.  On both measures, LCH&D consistently performs above the State and National Benchmarks.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “Million Hearts (Hypertension Control) Champion” since 2017, Lorain County Health & Dentistry is ranked in the Top 1% for Heart Health among Community Health Centers nationally.  We are also a proud recipient of the 2023 National Quality Leader Gold Badge, placing LCH&D in the Top 10% among Community Health Centers nationwide for overall excellence in clinical quality.  We work hard to make and keep our community healthy.  It is our privilege to do so. For more information, visit us online at www.lorainhealth-dentistry.org.