The Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) is a federally mandated process for hospitals to undertake every 3 years to gain a comprehensive understanding of the communitys health needs and assess our populations concerns about their health and the communitys health and then adopt an implementation strategy to address the identified needs. Section 501(r)(3)(A) requires a hospital organization to conduct a community health needs assessment (CHNA) every three years and to adopt an implementation strategy to meet the community health needs identified through the CHNA.
This year, the process for conducting the CHNA has shifted its focus to recognize the impact that social determinants of health and health equity have had on our health outcomes. The process and methodology have been intentionally designed to be more inclusive of historically and presently underserved and marginalized communities. The methodology for data collection includes:
A group of key stakeholders has been meeting weekly since December to design, draft, and implement the CHNA. Northwestern Medical Center contracted the Center for Rural Studies at the University of Vermont as our consultants to provide expertise on data collection and analytics.
The NMC CHNA process is assisted by the Center for Rural Studies (CRS), located at the University of Vermont. CRS is a non-profit, fee-for-service organization assisting organizations addressing social, economic, and resource challenges through applied research, program evaluation, community data & indicators and economic impact studies.
In alignment with Federal regulations, Northwestern Medical Center conducted a comprehensive 2018/2019 community health assessment. Through the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, this assessment identified health related issues facing the Franklin and Grand Isle Counties community. These issues were confirmed and seven top priorities were established by multi-disciplinary community panel. The document consists of a 14-slide summary outlining the top priorities. That summary is followed by the 88-page full report.
In alignment with Federal regulations, Northwestern Medical Center conducted a comprehensive 2015/2016 community health assessment. Through the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, this assessment identified health related issues facing the Franklin and Grand Isle Counties community. These issues were confirmed and six top priorities were established by multi-disciplinary community panel. The document consists of a 10-slide summary outlining the top priorities. That summary is followed by the 117 page full report.
In alignment with Federal regulations, Northwestern Medical Center conducted a comprehensive 2012/2013 community health assessment. Through the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, this assessment identified the top health related issues facing the Franklin and Grand Isle Counties community. These issues were confirmed and prioritized by a multi-disciplinarycommunity panel. The document consists of a 19 page summary outlining the priorities as well as NMCs plans to help address them within our community. That summary is followed by the 120 page full report.
NMC is part of the collaborative effort which produces Bridges To Well-Being the community needs assessment forFranklinandGrandIsleCounties.It provides a broad overview of factors relating to demographics, immediate needs, health, education, and income. Numerical data and narrative summaries are included.
Northwestern Medical Center has many unique aspects that make it a truly special organization where you can expect to receive quality care in a healing environment. Our staff is committed to going to great lengths to provide you with exceptional medical care, you are entrusting your care into our hands and we are honored to hold that responsibility.
Northwestern Medical Centers strength as a vital and valued community resource is built upon a clear understanding of why we exist, where we need to be, and the principles which guide us along the way. This is expressed through our mission, vision, and values statements which shape our long-term strategic planning and informs our daily decision making.
Northwestern Medical Center participates in the accountable care organization, OneCare Vermont, because we believe in offering the best care possible to Vermontersand because we support the shift to value-based care.
NMCs vision is to be recognized for excellence and value in healthcare as we partner to improve the wellness of our community and become a destination of choice for patients, staff, and medical staff. View our patientstories for a first hand look of NMC at work,which represent how we display ourmission and visionon a daily basis.
Our dedication to quality is the foundation of the exceptional care we provide. NMC has been named one of the Top 100 Rural and Community Hospitals in the nation (multiple times, most recently in 2019) by the The Chartis Center for Rural Health. We have been recognized as one of the Most Wired hospitals in America and our has won national Avatar awards for Overall Patient Satisfaction. Recognizing that heathcare is expensive, NMC has kept a watchful eye on efficiency and our charges to our patients consistently rank below the Vermont average, based on comparative information published by the Green Mountain Care Board.