We all understand the importance of building a strong community, and Parkview is committed to being part of that effort. We do this by identifying the health needs of the areas we serve, so we can continue to provide exceptional services and care to every person every day. To better understand this process, we asked Sarah GiaQuinta, MD, MPH, Vice President of Community Health, Parkview Health, to discuss the community health needs assessment survey, why it’s so important and how Parkview Health utilizes the information.

What is the community health needs assessment survey?

The community health needs assessment (CHNA) survey is an in-depth evaluation of our community’s current health care needs. The survey itself comes from IRS guidelines put in place after the Affordable Care Act. Every three years, we collect input from patients, providers and anyone serving the community, especially those in vulnerable populations. This information allows us to better understand the needs of the many different communities we serve across Northeast Indiana.

How does Parkview Health use feedback from this survey?

This survey, and the information it provides, are crucial in helping us determine if the health of our community is getting better or worse while also highlighting new health issues we may need to focus on. Mental health and substance abuse disorders are great examples. Over the last 10 years, we’ve seen a dramatic shift in these areas, making them more significant priorities than they may have been in the past.

Knowing this type of information, we can then shift our focus and choose to invest in the community in one of two ways: monetarily or program creation. If we choose monetarily, we can allocate resources from our Community Health Improvement Fund to support efforts around those areas of need. Infant mortality, for instance, is an important issue, but there’s already a lot of effort behind it. So, from our perspective, instead of reinventing the wheel, we can choose to invest in the fantastic programs and organizations that are already working toward promoting infant and maternal health.

If we choose program creation, we can invest internally to create programs that will help bridge any gaps. One great example is when we recognized childhood obesity issues within our community. We developed a program called FitKids360; a healthy lifestyle program developed to fight childhood obesity.

By utilizing these avenues, we can better and more efficiently address the priorities we’re seeing through our own programming or investing in community agencies that are already doing the work.

How is this survey administered?

In the past, we administered random phone calls, but unfortunately, people don’t answer their phones anymore due to unknown numbers and spam calls. This year, we’re working with the Parkview Health Services and Informatics Research team to conduct the survey online. People will either be sent a link through their MyChart email addresses or can participate by utilizing an iPad at various locations and organizations. This year, we’re also offering the survey in two other languages, Spanish and Burmese, because we felt like there was a gap in past years.

Why is it important that people participate?

Honestly, we need their feedback! Nobody knows a community better than those living in it. Plus, with the help of this survey, we can look at and assess those needs from a county or even neighborhood level. Health priorities and needs change over time, and we know that some neighborhoods within this area have a more difficult time staying healthy. But if we don’t have their feedback, we can’t help support them and their health in the way they need it. We base so much of our work on these results. Everyone’s input is extremely valuable. This survey is a vital component that has the power to impact our communities and patients while allowing Parkview to direct its resources to serve those who need it most.

Here's how you can help

Parkview Health is committed to identifying the health needs of our community so we can continue to provide better services and care. You can help by participating in the 2022 CHNA survey. It only takes 5-10 minutes, and your responses are confidential. You must be 18 years of age or older. If you have questions or need help with the survey, please call us at 260-266-7765. Thank you for helping us build a stronger community!