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<br /> <br /> <br /> <br />New Community Health Report Released <br /> <br />By Chris Grunert <br />SHARE THIS: <br />Posted June 15, 2016 at 8:27 am <br />The Orange County Health Department has released its Community Health Assessment for 2015. <br />Ashley Mercer with the Orange County Health Department said the assessment lets her office better <br />understand what they need to focus on. She said their main priorities were improving access to <br />healthcare, preventing substance abuse and promoting physical activity. <br />“We assess the health of the overall county and it just gives us the health priorities that are deemed <br />important by our residents,” said Mercer. <br />According to the assessment, about 15.3 percent of Orange County residents are uninsured. And even <br />with a high median income in the county, 17 percent of residents live in poverty. <br />So for many that means not being able to go to the doctor or missing out on needed medical services. <br />Mercer said many factors go into solving that issue. <br />“The overall availability and affordability of services, physically being able to access services, <br />understanding the health system and then socio-economic conditions that includes things like poverty,” <br />said Mercer. <br />Approximately 6,000 Orange County residents did, however, sign up for the healthcare marketplace in <br />2015, according the assessment. <br />Orange County has made progress in the past year on dealing with substance abuse. <br />Emergency services have also begun using the drug naxolone in opioid overdose situations. So far it <br />reversed overdoses for at least four people in Orange County.