Contact: Lori Evans, Foundation Director
C. 904-476-1138 | O. 850-253-1907
Community Health Needs Assessment: Building a Vibrant Community Together
Madison County Memorial Hospital, Florida Department of Health in Madison, and the Madison County Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Community Health Summit. This event is typically held once every three years and includes a variety of community members across Madison County. The purpose of the event is to review historical data on a variety of topics. Action Teams evaluate the state of our community, identify key services needed, and establish priorities for the next three (3) to five (5) years. Following are the focus areas up for discussion:
- Maternal & Child Health
- Environmental Health
- Injury & Violence
- Chronic Diseases
- Social & Behavioral Health
- Social Determinants of Health
- Madison County Demographic Trends
- Causes of Death & Infectious Disease
“It’s our mission,” said Tammy Stevens, Chief Executive Officer for Madison County Memorial Hospital “to keep our family and friends healthy by providing the most critical healthcare services right here close to home.” The Community Health Summit plays a crucial role in helping the hospital and the health department determine the needs that exist and make decisions about future services.
The Community Health Needs Assessment includes two types of data-primary (information obtained directly from individuals) and secondary (information collected by other sources). For example, individuals provide feedback via surveys and focus groups and partners review data collected by the county and the state. This information is combined into presentations to allow community members to review, provide feedback, and influence what types of services Madison county needs.
Increased life expectancy and chronic disease rates have resulted in a rise of various health conditions that require specialty care. “We don’t want our people to have to leave town every time they are sick”, said Lori Evans, Foundation Director. “Shopping that doesn’t happen in Madison is contributing to the success of our neighboring cities instead of helping to build Madison as a vibrant community. Yes, even for healthcare.”
To combat that, the hospital and the health department have partnered with the chamber to pool resources to help collect and analyze the data and to engage with the community for input. “As the local health department”, said Kimberly Allbritton, Administrator of the Department of Health in Madison, “our role is leading the charge to promote community and environmental health. Our work is guided by best practices in public health to administer this strategic process, to establish a Community Health Improvement Plan, and to bring together collaborative partners who can provide the services to support it”.
“It’s critical for a wide variety of agencies and community members to be involved”, says Pam Beck, Madison County Health Department Operations Manager. “It’s not only about health conditions. We are required to look at what is called Social Determinants of Health which means looking at factors that influence a person’s ability to get access to health care i.e. transportation, insurance, and/or day care.” If you live, work, play or worship in Madison let your voice be heard:
- Go to You Tube and view the presentations that have been developed to inform every one of the current State of Our Community.
- Join us for the Community Health Summit on November 4, 2020 from 10AM to 12PM from the comfort of your home or office.
- Provide feedback through round table discussions and/or via surveys.
- Serve on a committee to help design strategies and activities that address the needs of our community.
- Help make Madison THE place to live, work, play and worship!
“The Chamber is excited to help lead these efforts” Said Kaitlynn Culpepper, Public Relations Director for Tri-County and Chair for the Chamber of Commerce. “Our mission is to help build the economic stability of the county by working with local business to ensure Madison’s economy is strong. Our members include not only businesses, but also clubs, nonprofits and government entities. We all play a role in making Madison great!” This community health needs assessment is the first place to start.
Madison County Memorial Hospital (MCMH), is located near downtown Madison, Florida and serves a sixty-mile radius of North Florida and South Georgia. With an Emergency Room, Inpatient-Nursing, Swing-bed, Acute Care and Observation as well as Outpatient- diagnostic, physical, occupational and speech therapy, full-service laboratory, Endoscopy services, a Wound Care Clinic, and General Surgery, the goal is to build a collaborative network to ensure a strong and healthy community through innovative health services. www.mcmh.us and Facebook madisoncountymemorialhospitalMCMH ###
