Olmsted County 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment report released
Mental health, access to care, and food security identified as priorities
The 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) report, detailing Olmsted County’s health priorities, is now available to the public. The 2025 CHNA identified three priority issues that significantly impact health: mental health, access to care, and food security.
Mental health and access to care remain top health priorities for Olmsted County; also identified as priorities in the 2022 CHNA. These ongoing concerns reflect persistent challenges that require sustained attention and collaboration. Food security, newly identified in the 2025 report, focuses on a person's ability to consistently afford and access enough nutritious food to meet their needs.
"The 2025 CHNA reinforces the importance of staying focused on mental health and access to care. The addition of food security as a new priority reminds us that health starts with meeting basic needs,” said Olmsted County Public Health Services (OCPHS) Director Denise Daniels. “We’re committed to working with our partners and community members to address these challenges and create lasting, equitable improvements in health.”
The online format of the 2025 CHNA report is interactive and users can choose to turn different data points on or off. For example, some graphs have race and ethnicity data where a user can look at each racial group individually. The tool also allows people to zoom in on graphs and see detailed information while hovering over data points.
“This interactive format of the CHNA report empowers users to explore the data in meaningful ways, making it easier to understand health trends and disparities in our community,” said Olmsted Medical Center (OMC) Chief Information Officer Wendy Scheckel. “This level of accessibility supports more informed, data-driven action to improve health outcomes across Olmsted County.”
Following each CHNA survey, OCPHS, OMC, and Mayo Clinic collaborate with community partners to develop and implement plans that address the identified health priorities. The examples below highlight recent efforts already underway to tackle these issues:
- OCPHS is working with partners to improve health care options for people of all gender and sexual identities.
- Zumbro Valley Health Center is providing more dental care for clients.
- United Way of Southeast Minnesota is spreading the word about its 211 information and referral program, which connects people to local resources, 24/7 and in over 100 languages.
- Rochester Public Schools is piloting a mental health screening program in eight schools.
"The CHNA not only helps us identify key priorities, but also strengthens partnerships that lead to real, measurable change,” said Mayo Clinic Pediatrician Dr. Brian Lynch. “These collaborative efforts are essential to building a healthier, more equitable future for everyone in Olmsted County.”
Building on the 2025 CHNA, OCPHS, Mayo Clinic, and OMC will continue working with community members throughout 2026 to develop targeted action plans. These strategies will guide efforts to improve health outcomes throughout Olmsted County.