Healthy Communities Partnership
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“Affordable Care
Act) enacted March 2010 requires non-profit healthcare organizations to
conduct Community Health Needs Assessments for each hospital that represents
the broad interest of the community each hospital serves. This legislation
resulted in Mary Washington Healthcare and the Rappahannock Area Health
District launching the Healthy Communities Partnership in May 2011. The
Healthy Communities Partnership was charged with completing a Community
Health Needs Assessment to identify high priority healthcare needs within
the regional Mary Washington Healthcare service area. The Healthy Communities
Partnership is financially supported by Mary Washington Healthcare, the
Rappahannock United Way, Rappahannock Area Community Services Board, Kaiser
Permanente of the Mid Atlantic States, and the Mary Washington Hospital
Foundation. The Performance Management Group at Virginia Commonwealth
University was contracted to facilitate planning meetings, gather and
analyze related data, and manage project timelines and schedules.
The Healthy Communities Partnership established three committees: Advisory,
Steering, and Communications Committee. The Healthy Communities Partnership’s
Advisory Committee is comprised of 40 community volunteers representing
regional hospitals, health departments and insurers, private businesses,
community-based organizations, and healthcare and mental health services
providers. The Healthy Communities Partnership’s Advisory Committee’s
chief responsibilities are to:
- provide input on all aspects of the Partnership, and
- to provide input to the Steering Committee on priority needs, resources,
and healthcare goals for the community.
The Healthy Communities Partnership’s Steering Committee includes
representatives from Mary Washington Healthcare, the United Way, GEICO,
the Moss Free Clinic, the Rappahannock Emergency Medical Services Council,
Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center, and the Rappahannock Area Health
District. The Healthy Communities Partnership’s Steering Committee’s
responsibilities include:
- serving as the coordinating body,
- making operational decisions on behalf of the Partnership,
- developing the Community Health Needs Assessment plan,
- reviewing data, selecting a healthcare priority for further focus,
- preparing the Community Health Needs Assessment Report,
- guiding the community-based intervention,
- seeking input from the Advisory Committee on key decisions, and
- providing periodic updates to the Committee and/or external stakeholders
The Healthy Communities Partnership’s Communications Committee will
support and inform the Partnership’s messaging, marketing, and community
outreach efforts.
2012 Community Health Needs Assessment Summary
This summary shares highlights of the Healthy Communities Partnership’s
Community Health Needs Assessment. Data collection focused on the following
areas: community input, vital statistics, reasons for doctor and clinic
visits, risk factors for common illness, lifestyle improvements, and localities
where residents were not meeting established health targets. Some data
is available only on the countywide level but still provides valuable
information. Both qualitative and quantitative data was collected between
August and December 2011.
Qualitative primary research:
The qualitative primary research for the 2012 Community Health Needs Assessment
was conducted by key informant interviews with community leaders from
public & private organizations selected for the Healthy Communities
Partnership’s Advisory Committee and engagement of Mary Washington
Healthcare’s Citizen Advisory Council, along with solicited community input.
Secondary data and information sources:
Information was obtained from a number of different sources such as the
Healthy Communities Institute’s Community Health Information Resource
tool (CHIR), the Virginia Department of Health, the American Community
Survey, the Urban Institute, information supplied directly from a sample
of healthcare service providers within the defined community, and Healthy
People 2020.
The Steering Committee of the Health Communities Partnership reviewed and
established decision-making criteria to guide their discussions regarding
identification of the region’s highest priority healthcare needs.
The criteria that follow are not listed in order of priority:
- Magnitude of the identified priority
- Severity of the problem – the risk of morbidity and mortality associated
with the problem
- Alignment of the priority with the community’s strengths and health
priorities
- Impact of the identified priority on vulnerable populations – health
care disparity
- Importance of the priority to the community
- Existing resources addressing the identified priority
- Relationship of the priority to other community issues
- Affordability of intervention strategies
- Potential for short-term and long-term impact on the community
The criteria yielded The Top Ten Health Priorities identified through the
Healthy Communities Partnership’s Community Health Needs Assessment.
- Cancer (Colorectal, Lung, Breast)
- Cardiovascular Disease
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Mental Health Issues
- Access, Awareness & Affordability of Healthcare
- Tobacco Use
- Substance Abuse
- Dental Health
- Seniors Health Issues (osteoporosis, dementia, falls/fractures)
The Healthy Communities Partnership determined that access to primary care
providers closely ties to all of the health care conditions identified
by the Community Health Needs Assessment, impacts incidence and disease
mortality rates, and affects the overall quality of life for area residents.
Therefore, the primary issue that the Healthy Communities Partnership
will address in 2012 is to: Increase the number of indigent/uninsured
people who have a medical home and/or access to a primary care provider
(first contact of care). For more information on The Healthy Communities
Partnership, please click here to see the Final Progress Report. You may
also contact Phil Brown, Mary Washington Healthcare’s representative
and Chair of the Healthy Communities Partnership at (540) 741-2436 or
Philip.Brown@mwhc.com