Public Health Commissioner Dr. Jewel Mullen wants to talk with state residents about making their communities healthier places to live.

Mullen and other health officials will be hosting forums across the state to hear from members of the public on issues affecting their health. They’ll also present information about the health of state residents.

The Department of Public Health is working with other agencies on a state health assessment intended to determine the health status of Connecticut residents and identify resources that can address issues including prenatal care, behavioral and environmental risk factors, and top causes of death. That effort will lead to the development of a plan for improving the health of people in the state and achieving health equity.

The forums are open to all state residents. Walk-ins are welcome, but people can register by calling 860-509-8070 or signing up at ct.train.org, using the identification number 1045492.

The forums will be held from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., with registration starting at 5:30 p.m. The dates and locations are:

Sept. 12: EASTCONN Capitol Theater, Magnet High School, 896 Main St., Willimantic

Sept. 24: Legislative Office Building, Room 2C, 300 Capitol Ave., Hartford

Sept. 26: Torrington City Hall, Council Chambers, Room 218, 140 Main St., Torrington

Oct. 8: Discovery Magnet School Cafeteria, 4510 Park Ave., Bridgeport

Oct. 10: Hill Regional Career High School auditorium, 140 Legion Ave., New Haven

Oct. 17: Three Rivers Community College, multipurpose room F117, 574 New London Turnpike, Norwich

Oct. 21: Connecticut Valley Hospital, Paige Hall Solarium, 1000 Silver St., Middletown

Arielle Levin Becker covered health care for The Connecticut Mirror. She previously worked for The Hartford Courant, most recently as its health reporter, and has also covered small towns, courts and education in Connecticut and New Jersey. She was a finalist in 2009 for the prestigious Livingston Award for Young Journalists, a recipient of a Knight Science Journalism Fellowship and the third-place winner in 2013 for an in-depth piece on caregivers from the National Association of Health Journalists. She is a 2004 graduate of Yale University.

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