Rochelle Community Hospital invited area residents to participate in a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) process administered by the National Rural Health Resource Center in Duluth, Minnesota last fall. This process included the development and distribution of a stratified, randomly sample mailed survey, focus groups and secondary data analysis. These methods enabled RCH the opportunity to listen and respond to the health needs of the community.
As part of the Affordable Care Act, hospitals are required to conduct a CHNA every three years.
Some points of interest identified from overall survey results included:
· Overall quality of services was rated as “excellent”.
· The community was rated as “healthy” by 35% of the respondents.
· 20% of Ogle county residents have poor dental health
· 15% of the Medicare population in Ogle county suffers with depression; 2% higher than surrounding areas.
Results of the assessment finding are being used to create an action plan for the purposes of:
· Improving overall community health
· Promoting collaboration and partnerships in the area to address top community health needs
· Improving communication across health sectors
Rochelle Community Hospital officials have met with area partners to discuss the findings of the survey and identify possible strategies to address the health needs and services identified.
The complete results of the Community Health Needs Assessment can be found at http://www.rochellehospital.com/about-us/community-health-needs-assessment/
