Edie Alfano-Sobsey1, Sue Lynn Ledford2, Kasey Decosimo3, Jennifer A Horney4. 1. Wake County Human Services, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. 2. Division of Public Health, Wake County Human Services, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. 3. North Carolina Institute for Public Health, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. 4. Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Texas A and M School of Rural Public Health, College Station, Texas, USA. horney@srph.tamhsc.edu.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Hospitals and other health care agencies are required to conduct a community health needs assessment (CHNA) every 3 years to obtain information about the health needs and concerns of the population. In 2013, to avoid duplication of efforts and to achieve a more comprehensive CHNA, Wake County Human Services, WakeMed Health and Hospitals, Duke Raleigh Hospital, Rex Healthcare, Wake Health Services, United Way of the Greater Triangle, and the North Carolina Institute for Public Health partnered to conduct a joint assessment for Wake County. METHODS: Information was collected from the community through opinion surveys and focus groups. To understand the social, economic, and health status of Wake County residents, statistics were also collected from state, county, and local sources. Analysis of all data sources allowed 9 areas of community concern to be identified. Five community forums were held simultaneously at locations in east, south, west, north, and central Wake County to inform residents about the main findings of the assessment and to prioritize the 9 areas of concern. RESULTS: The top 3 priority areas identified were poverty and unemployment, health care access and utilization, and mental health and substance use. LIMITATIONS: Results may not be generalizable to counties in North Carolina that are more rural or to counties outside North Carolina. CONCLUSIONS: The success of this unique collaborative process provides further opportunity for the project partners and other organizations to coordinate action plans, pool resources, and jointly address the priorities of this assessment over the next 3 years.
BACKGROUND: Hospitals and other health care agencies are required to conduct a community health needs assessment (CHNA) every 3 years to obtain information about the health needs and concerns of the population. In 2013, to avoid duplication of efforts and to achieve a more comprehensive CHNA, Wake County Human Services, WakeMed Health and Hospitals, Duke Raleigh Hospital, Rex Healthcare, Wake Health Services, United Way of the Greater Triangle, and the North Carolina Institute for Public Health partnered to conduct a joint assessment for Wake County. METHODS: Information was collected from the community through opinion surveys and focus groups. To understand the social, economic, and health status of Wake County residents, statistics were also collected from state, county, and local sources. Analysis of all data sources allowed 9 areas of community concern to be identified. Five community forums were held simultaneously at locations in east, south, west, north, and central Wake County to inform residents about the main findings of the assessment and to prioritize the 9 areas of concern. RESULTS: The top 3 priority areas identified were poverty and unemployment, health care access and utilization, and mental health and substance use. LIMITATIONS: Results may not be generalizable to counties in North Carolina that are more rural or to counties outside North Carolina. CONCLUSIONS: The success of this unique collaborative process provides further opportunity for the project partners and other organizations to coordinate action plans, pool resources, and jointly address the priorities of this assessment over the next 3 years.
Authors: Brook E Harmon; Emily Rose N San Diego; Latrice C Pichon; Terrinieka W Powell; Fedoria Rugless; Nathan T West; Lottie Minor; Sterling McNeal; Lauren McCann; Lauren S Hales; Rachel Davis; Jonathan Lewis Journal: Eval Program Plann Date: 2022-07-08
Authors: Tabia Henry Akintobi; Elise Lockamy; Lisa Goodin; Natalie D Hernandez; Tanesha Slocumb; Daniel Blumenthal; Ronald Braithwaite; Larry Leeks; Micah Rowland; Thomas Cotton; LaShawn Hoffman Journal: Prog Community Health Partnersh Date: 2018