Piedmont Walton Hospital Finalizes Community Health Needs Assessment and Begins Implementation – Your Local News
Monroe, Ga. (7 Nov 2022) – Hospitals in Piedmont have completed their respective Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNAs), which are part of their regulatory responsibility as part of a not-for-profit health system, and will begin implementation on November 15 of new strategies to improve the overall health of the communities they serve.
The Piedmont Community Benefit team conducted interviews across Georgia with more than 200 stakeholders, who provided insight into the particular health needs in their respective communities.
“Piedmont exists to serve its communities and the community health needs assessment helps us see where our resources can make a positive difference in the lives of community members who need them most,” said Vice President of External Affairs of Piedmont, Thomas Worthy. . “Piedmont empowers Georgians by helping them reach their full potential and by better meeting the needs of our communities, we help Georgian citizens live healthier and more fulfilled lives.”
Among the priorities that local councils in Piedmont have ratified as priorities are:
- Ensure affordable access to health, mental and dental care
We will ensure that all members of the community have access to affordable health, mental and dental care, regardless of income. This includes partnerships with community organizations, as well as internal programs to increase access.
- Reduce preventable cases of cancer and cancer deaths
We will promote both the prevention and treatment of all cancers, especially among those most vulnerable to the disease. This includes community screenings and promoting programs to support community members with cancer and their families.
- Promote healthy behaviors to reduce preventable conditions, diseases and addictions
We will actively promote healthy behaviors and encourage community members to quit risky behaviors, such as smoking. This includes broad-based health education and programs, as well as specific efforts to reduce opioid use.
- Reduce preventable cases and deaths from heart disease
We will promote both prevention and treatment of heart disease and emphasize early detection and healthy behaviors to help reduce risk. We will pay particular attention to populations most at risk for heart disease.
“The needs of Monroe and surrounding communities are vast and diverse,” said Larry Ebert, CEO of Piedmont Walton Hospital. “Now that we have identified these needs, we can work alongside our partners in every community to positively impact the health and well-being of the patients we serve.”
A CHNA is a measure of the relative health or well-being of a given community. It is both the activity and the end product of identifying and prioritizing unmet community health needs, which is carried out by:
- Data collection and analysis;
- Solicit feedback from the community and key stakeholders; and,
- Assess Piedmont’s past work and future opportunities.
Through this assessment, Piedmont is better informed to understand local health challenges, identify health trends in our communities, determine gaps in the current health system, and develop a plan to address those gaps and needs. of health identified.
This is Piedmont’s fourth CHNA, with others having been conducted in 2013, 2016 and 2019. The current Piedmont CHNA will serve as the foundation for developing our community benefits strategies and further strengthening our community work.
Piedmont is empowering Georgians by changing healthcare. We continue to fuel Georgia’s growth with safe, high-quality care close to home – an integrated healthcare system that delivers a unified, hassle-free experience. Each year, we receive more than 30 million visits to Piedmont.org, more than 450,000 appointments scheduled online by patients and more than 100,000 virtual visits. We are a private, not-for-profit organization that for centuries has lived up to its goal of making a positive difference in every life we touch in the communities we serve. Today, our organization is supported by a workforce of more than 37,000 people caring for 3.4 million patients at 1,400 sites and serving communities that represent 80% of Georgia’s population. This includes 22 hospitals, including three inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, 65 Piedmont Urgent Care Centers, 25 QuickCare locations, 1,875 Piedmont Clinic physician offices, and more than 3,000 Piedmont Clinic members. Piedmont has provided $1.4 billion in unpaid care and community benefit programs to the communities we serve over the past five years. In 2022, Forbes ranked us #166 on its list of America’s Top Large Employers. In 2021, the Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit that rates hospitals on safety, gave Piedmont more A grades than any system in Georgia.
For more information or to book your next appointment, visit piedmont.org.
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