KishHealth System began an online Community Health Needs Assessment Survey beginning Feb. 1, 2015. This online survey is an integral part of the community-wide assessment conducted once every three years by KishHealth System. Results of the survey will be combined with existing federal, state, and local health data to provide guidance in identifying health problems, fulfilling both federal and state mandates, and ensuring that KishHealth System is responsive to the community by understanding and acting to address priority health needs.
The results of the 2012 survey determined that DeKalb County’s high priority areas were obesity, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol and blood pressure, and cancer. Additional areas of need identified by the survey were access to care, diabetes/kidney disease, healthcare affordability, maternal child health, mental health, older adult health, and respiratory disease. KishHealth System initiated several programs to address these areas including increasing smoking prevention programs for school-aged children; expanding the CATCH program to additional classrooms, after school programs, and summer camps in the county; initiating baby friendly hospital accreditation at both Kishwaukee Hospital and Valley West Hospital; providing breast, cervical, and lung cancer screenings at the Cancer Center; and adding the classes Eat to Beat Heart Disease and Eat to Beat Diabetes in the Ingredients for Healthy Living program.
Participation is voluntary and the survey is designed to measure residents’ perceptions of healthcare delivery, access, and health practices. The confidential online survey uses standardized questions, is available in English and Spanish and will take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. The willingness of participants to fill out the survey will support the health system and other community agencies in the development of vital programs and services which will advance the promotion of health.
A report outlining areas of health needs will be published on the KishHealth System website in late December 2015. For more information, please contact Dawn Roznowski, community engagement advisor and employee health manager, KishHealth System, at 815.756.1521, ext. 155603. To access the online survey, participants are asked to visit www.kishhealth.org/communitysurvey.
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