We all understand the importance of building a strong community, and Parkview is committed to being part of that effort. We do this by identifying the health needs of the areas we serve, so we can continue to provide exceptional services and care to every person every day. To better understand this process, we asked Sarah GiaQuinta, MD, MPH, Vice President of Community Health and Equity, Parkview Health, to discuss the Community Health Needs Assessment survey, why it is so crucial and how Parkview Health utilizes the information.
Complete the Community Health Needs Assessment Survey here.
What is the Community Health Needs Assessment?
The Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) is an in-depth evaluation of our community’s health priorities. According to the IRS guidelines put in place after the Affordable Care Act, all non-profit hospitals and healthcare systems are required to perform a CHNA every three years. As a part of this process, we use surveys to collect input from community members, healthcare providers and other key stakeholders serving vulnerable populations locally. This information allows us to better understand the needs of the many different communities we serve across Northeast Indiana and Northwest Ohio.
How does Parkview Health use feedback from this survey?
This survey, and the information it provides are crucial in helping us determine if the health of our community is getting better or worse while also highlighting new health issues we may need to focus on. Mental health and substance abuse disorders are great examples. Over the last 10 years, we’ve seen a dramatic shift in these areas, making them more significant priorities than they may have been in the past.
Knowing this type of information, we can then shift our focus and choose to invest in the community in one of two ways: monetarily or program creation. If we choose monetarily, Parkview allocates resources from our Community Health Improvement Fund to support efforts around those areas of need. For example, maternal/child health was identified as a priority area in our 2022 CHNA. In response, we annually support the work of many organizations who are already successfully addressing this critical issue, such as Healthier Moms and Babies or SCAN, through community health improvement grants.
If we choose program creation, we can invest internally to create programs that will help address identified gaps in local resources or healthcare access. One great example is when we recognized the lack of programs treating childhood obesity in the community. In response, Parkview’s Youth Well-Being team implemented a program called FitKids360, which focuses on physical, mental, behavioral and nutritional aspects of healthy living for families.
By investing in local organizations or our own community-based programs, we can better and more efficiently address the priorities identified in the CHNA.
How is this survey administered?
This year we are again partnering with the Parkview Health Services and Informatics Research team to conduct both the community and provider survey. As we did in 2022, we are using many different methods to collect data including an online survey that can be accessed online or through a QR code. A link to the survey will also be sent to all Parkview patients with a MyChart account, and members of the HSIR team are planning to partner with various organizations across Northeast Indiana and Northwest Ohio to survey community members. We are again offering the survey in Spanish and Burmese as we did in 2022 but have also had surveys translated to Karen (a dialect of Burmese) and Arabic this year based on community feedback.
Why is it important that people participate?
Honestly, we need your feedback! Nobody knows a community better than those living in it. Plus, with the help of this survey, we can look at and assess those needs from a county or even neighborhood level. Health priorities and needs change over time, and we know that where you live impacts health outcomes. Everyone’s input is extremely valuable!
Here's how you can help
Parkview Health is committed to identifying the health needs of our community so we can continue to provide quality, equitable care for all. You can help by participating in the 2024 CHNA survey. It only takes 5-10 minutes, and your responses are confidential. You must be 18 years of age or older. If you have questions or need help with the survey, please call us at 260-266-7765. Thank you for helping us build a stronger community!
