Community Health Needs Assessment

In 2022, Deaconess Health System joined five other local health-related organizations, ECHO Community Health Care, St. Vincent Evansville, United Way of Southwest Indiana, Vanderburgh County Health Department, and Welborn Baptist Foundation to plan for and administer a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA).

Conducting a CHNA is a required component of the Affordable Care Act and serves as a way to evaluate the overall health of the community. The assessment identifies recurring causes of poor health then focuses resources to support and drive positive change in the identified behaviors.

 A diverse and comprehensive range of activities were initiated to collect and consider data that provided valuable insights for decision making. A foundational activity included the review of existing secondary data to better understand the health needs and social, economic, and demographic characteristics of those living in the service area. Additionally, to ensure the consideration of community member insights into health issues impacting their communities, a provider/stakeholder survey was conducted. Lastly, community members and stakeholders representing organizations providing services on the front lines of public health in their communities participated in a series of virtual focus groups. Prioritization sessions were held to discuss findings and identify areas of focus for subsequent years.

This resulted in five identified priorities.  

• COVID-19 Response
• Behavioral Health
• Access to Care
• Maternal Child Health
• Exercise, Weight, and Nutrition

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