The Kendrick Foundation invests in conditions that support the physical and mental health of all Morgan County residents. According to the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, the health of a place results from past and present policies and practices. Health outcomes tell us how long people live on average within a community, and how much physical and mental health people experience in a community while they are alive. Morgan County is fairing about the same as the average county in Indiana for health outcomes – 16% of adults report poor or fair health and, on average, 5.3 poor mental health days and 3.6 poor physical health days in the past 30 days. Additionally, 17% report frequent mental distress and 11% report frequent physical distress.

Many things influence how well and how long we live. Health factors represent those things we can improve to live longer and healthier lives. They are indicators of the future health of our communities. Morgan County is fairing about the same as the average county in Indiana for health factors – 19% of adults smoke, 18% drink excessively, 37% have obesity, and 27% are physically inactive. Morgan County has higher rates of opioid prescription dispensations and deaths by suicide than the state. Many Morgan County residents also lack adequate access to mental health providers and primary care physicians.

Using these and other data, the Kendrick Foundation seeks to partner with strong, innovative community organizations implementing scientifically supported, evidence-based, and/or evidence-informed strategies as outlined in the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps What Works for Health and/or other credible sources to address one or more of the following focus areas: