Assessing Community Health Needs in the Rappahannock Region

The Rappahannock Region Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) was the result of collaboration between Mary Washington Healthcare and the Healthy Communities Institute (HCI) to determine health needs in the City of Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, King George, Orange, Prince William, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and Westmoreland.

Through interviews with residents and health experts and public forums that gathered community input, unmet health needs and gaps in service were determined, particularly among vulnerable populations such as the economically disadvantaged, racial and ethnic minorities, the uninsured, and low-income children.

In October 2015, Mary Washington Healthcare and a Steering Committee of local experts and community members prioritized the findings and identified the top five priorities:

1. Obesity – adult and childhood
2. Access to health services
3. Substance abuse – with emphasis on tobacco or illicit drug use, particularly among teens and young adults
4. Behavioral health – with emphasis on teens, young adults, and seniors
5. Cancer (breast, lung, and prostate)

Next, Mary Washington Healthcare and the Steering Committee agreed to first address obesity as a community collaborative. It’s a health issue affecting a significant portion of the population across all age, racial, and ethnic groups, and it can have significant impact on the other identified health needs.