Sullivan also noted that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had an effect on residents’ mental health and they’ve received a grant to help address that.

Other top issues in the community include nutrition, physical activity, heart disease, tobacco use and substance abuse.

But compared to the community health needs assessments from 2014 and 2017, Jay Doyle, president of St. James Healthcare, said trends are steadily improving.

“These are big issues that face the community, and there are no quick fixes to them,” said Doyle.

Part of this year’s community assessment took into account environmental health, given Butte’s legacy as a Superfund site.

“Does where we live have an impact on our health? Is our zip code more important to our health outcomes than our genetic code?” Sullivan rhetorically asked. “I buy into that, and I think the clean-up is an incredible silver lining to the community’s health.”

Now that the clean-up plan is before a federal judge, Sullivan is hopeful that if this consent decree passes, Butte will become greener and its restored landscape will help improve mental health.

“I think what makes us different from most communities is that we’re working together as a team,” said Doyle. “2020 has brought some challenges to us all. We are fortunate to have the kind of community that we do, where we have a strong history of overcoming obstacles. Where our concern for our neighbors calls us to continue to work towards a happier, healthier life for all.”