News

Health Needs Assessment to Provide Local Health Insights
Oct 17, 2018

(ST. JOSEPH) – Spectrum Health Lakeland recently launched the 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) which will provide an in-depth analysis of the health needs of Berrien, and parts of Cass and Van Buren counties. Community members are encouraged to complete the online survey by December 31 and share their opinions regarding the following topics:

• What are the biggest health issues in your community?
• What are some things in your community that help you to be healthy?
• What are some things in your community that make it hard to be healthy?
• How would you improve the health in your community?
• How do you respond to stress?
• How do you feel about your neighborhood?

The CHNA and its associated Implementation Strategy (IS), which is required of tax-exempt hospitals under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), helps to ensure that hospitals have the information needed to effectively meet the health needs of the communities they serve. This includes information that informs and directs the allocation of the hospital’s community benefit resources, as well as the resources of other community entities responsible for the health and welfare of the community.

“It’s important for health systems to assess the health needs of the communities they serve, not just the patients who walk into their buildings,” said Lynn Todman, PhD, Executive Director of Population Health, Spectrum Health Lakeland. “Feedback from community members will help us understand the health-related needs of southwest Michigan residents, and guide how we work with our community partners to address them.”

For more information, or to complete the survey, visit www.lakelandhealth.org/chna