Community Focus Report: Progress made, but some red flags remain

The organizers of the Community Focus Report for Springfield and Greene County have released an update ahead of the official next study in 2024.

Stakeholders say progress has been made in some areas, while red flags persist in others, according to a news release. The report, a collaboration between the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, United Way of the Ozarks, Springfield-Greene County Library District, Junior League of Springfield and Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, was last released in 2021 and another full report is planned in 2024.

"This interim update gathers new data but does not identify new blue ribbons and red flags," say Community Focus Report's Lynne Meyerkord, of AIDS Project of the Ozarks, and Jonathan Groves, of Drury University, in a joint statement in the report. "Instead, it lays the foundation for the 20th anniversary report, to be released in 2024."

The highlights of the 2023 progress report include:
• Springfield and Greene County have improved the ratio of mental health providers in the area.
• Median household income has increased, but conversely, housing and living costs also have risen for many in the community.
• The natural environment, specifically a focus on clean air and water, continues to be an asset for the community as investments in trails, infrastructure and schools have continued into 2023.
• Red flags that persist include poverty, child abuse and neglect, and opioid use.

“Overall, the recovery identified in the 2021 Community Focus Report has continued, with some areas of the community still on the mend," the report indicates. "As in the past, organizations across sectors are developing collaborative solutions, but as improvements happen in some sectors, persistent challenges ... remain for Springfield and Greene County."

The 2023 Community Focus progress update was presented during Drury University's Nonprofit Leadership Conference yesterday at DoubleTree by Hilton.

The Drury event featured a keynote address by Steve Edwards, founder of ImagineHealth LLC and former president and CEO of CoxHealth, according to a separate news release, among a series of other speakers.