Ottawa County rushes to finish critical health survey amid low response rates, funding risks
Health officials in Ottawa County are racing against a late September deadline to collect responses for a key community survey, pushing forward with a health assessment process that sat at the center of an intense political standoff last year.
OTTAWA COUNTY — Health officials in Ottawa County are racing against a late September deadline to collect responses for a key community survey, pushing forward with a health assessment process that sat at the center of an intense political standoff last year.
The Ottawa County Behavioral Risk Factor Survey, conducted every three years by the county health department in partnership with local hospital systems and non-profits, aims to gather health data from 800 randomly selected adult residents.
As data collection nears its final weeks, officials say they are still short of their goal.
"We still need about 200 more responses to reach our goal of 800," said Derel Glashower, senior epidemiologist for the Ottawa County Department of Public Health, one of the primary member organizations of the Healthy Ottawa coalition.
"That number matters: 800 completed surveys gives us a large enough sample to accurately reflect the health needs of the whole county, not just the people who choose to respond. The fewer responses we get, the less confident we can be that the results represent Ottawa County as a whole."
The survey relies on random digit dialing to landlines and cell phones through a national calling vendor, Wilkins Research, displaying a 616 area code. The 20- to 30-minute live interview asks residents about basic health indicators, including physical exercise, tobacco use, routine medical visits, and insurance coverage, according to county officials conducting the survey.
While routine in structure, the assessment arrives on the heels of a bitter political clash over government oversight and public health authority, previous media has reported.
In 2023, the Republican-led Ottawa County Board of Commissioners — dominated by members affiliated with the far-right political political group Ottawa Impact — delayed funding approval for the assessment. The group won a board majority in 2022 following political pushback against COVID-19 mandates, then targeted the health department's administration and questioned the appropriateness of specific survey questions.
Board members voiced objections to questions regarding suicide and adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, arguing that asking adult residents about past traumas could cause distress and expose the county to liability, media reported.
OI leaders explored terminating the assessment contract or unilaterally altering survey topics, prompting pushback from health administrators and area hospital executives who noted the data is necessary for maintaining nonprofit tax status and securing federal grants.
The political rift coincided with a lawsuit filed by County Health Officer Adeline Hambley, who alleged commissioners attempted to strip her legal duties and impede county health contracts.
This year, the survey's core contents remain largely identical to previous iterations, though health officials made targeted adjustments to its structure.
"The way Healthy Ottawa is conducting the Behavioral Risk Factor Survey is the same as before — random digit telephone calls made by a national call center to adults in Ottawa County," Glashower said. "The content is also largely the same as in 2023, with two changes: new questions about health-related social needs were added, and the Adverse Childhood Experiences questions were removed to make room for the new questions and to keep the survey about the same length."
Glashower noted that because phone outreach remains ongoing through late September, the department does not yet have preliminary data or trends to release.
The completed survey data will feed into the broader 2026 Community Health Needs Assessment, an overarching report that evaluates regional health risks, helps direct local public health spending, and shapes community programs. Previous county assessments identified access to healthcare, mental health services, and affordable housing as Ottawa County’s primary public health priorities.
Organizers emphasized that participation is completely voluntary and confidential. Surveyors conduct live interviews exclusively regarding health matters and will never request Social Security numbers, banking information, or financial payments.
Residents seeking to verify the legitimacy of a call can check healthyottawa.org.
"Results will most likely be shared through a community presentation, posted data on the Healthy Ottawa website, and possibly a media release," Glashower said, noting that full findings from the Community Health Needs Assessment are expected to be published in spring 2027.
— Heather VanDyke covers northern Ottawa County for the Ottawa News Network. Contact her at hvandyke@ottawanewsnetwork.org.
