The Ozarks Public Health Institute at Missouri State University is set to release the 2026 Community Focus Report in October, marking the first report since the institute took over. The report provides details about conditions in the Springfield community, arranged in “blue ribbons” and “red flags,” outlining problems with good solutions in place and those still in need of an answer.

New Focus Areas

Two new topics have been added to the report: faith and food. The faith topic emphasizes the many communities structured around belief and looks to increase empathy, understanding, and resource providing. The food topic focuses on food security and the local food economy, covering the connections between food access, public health, and community resilience.

Traci Nash, facilitator of the report, said that the addition of these topics is exciting, as they intersect with much of what the report tracks, including poverty and health outcomes. The report is commonly used by community service groups to channel charitable efforts.

Online Reporting

The institute has also added online reporting to the project, with some data already available on the Community Focus Report website, including data dashboards for education, housing, health, transportation, and more. The website will be updated with the new report’s information in October.

A public release has been planned for Oct. 2 at the Hatch Auditorium, located at the Library Center. The demand for the report remains high, with many people calling to ask if the report is still being published.

Original reporting: Springfield Daily Citizen — read the source article.