MADERA — Madera County Department of Public Health (MCDPH), along with Madera Community Hospital (MCH), Valley Children’s Healthcare, and the Live Well Madera County (LWMC) partnership are seeking input from Madera County residents on health-related issues and concerns. The information collected will be used to help set future health community priorities as part of a new community health assessment set to be published in 2022.
A Community Health Assessment is a process to identity key health needs and issues within a community. All 501(c)(3) hospitals are required by law to complete a CHA report every three years. Local public health departments, such as Madera County Department of Public Health, who are seeking to obtain national accreditation must also complete an assessment routinely.
MCDPH, MCH and Valley Children’s have partnered with the Hospital Council of Northern & Central California on a joint data collection process. A comprehensive 63-question survey is being utilized in Madera County as well as Fresno, Kings, and Tulare counties. In addition to the survey, local community-based organizations led by United Way of Fresno & Madera Counties are conducting focus groups with harder-to-reach populations and interviews with key community leaders.
“The mission of Madera Community Hospital includes being a trusted community health resource, dedicated to actively promoting and maintaining the health and well-being of residents. To do this we need a comprehensive understanding of the health needs, prior to seeking care in our hospital,” said Sherrie Bakke, Madera Community Hospital. “Our collective commitment of working together to improve the health of our community will be most effective with input from the community.”
“Valley Children’s values the input of community residents in helping to identify some of the most pressing unmet needs of children, and encourages individuals living in Madera, Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties to participate in the survey,” said Tim Curley, Director of Community and Government at Valley Children’s.
The CHA in Madera is guided by LWMC, a partnership that formed in 2014 around the development of the community’s first Community Health Assessment which was published in 2017. The group consists of representatives from countywide government, health care providers, health plans, business, education, law enforcement, community-based, and faith-based stakeholders who are committed to improving community wellness through focused aligned action. After the gathering of data, LWMC will play a vital role in helping to prioritize issues.
“Data collection is only the first step in this process. Following the completion of the surveys, focus groups and interviews, data will be analyzed, and priorities will be identified based upon partner and community feedback. Ultimately a Madera County Community Health Improvement Plan will be developed that will outline specific strategies to address the identified health needs,” said Public Health Director Sara Bosse.
The community health assessment survey is open through November 19th.
The survey includes questions about individual health behaviors as well as social and community factors that may impact health. Demographic information such as race/ethnicity, age and geography are collected to identity any specific needs that may exist and target interventions as appropriate.
The survey is anonymous, however, you may provide your name and contact information if you wish to be entered to win a $100 gift card. Recruitment is also taking place for focus groups. For more information about focus group participation contact rperalta@uwfm.org.