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There’s still time to take part in the 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment Survey.
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The survey provides local health agencies with information on the most pressing health needs for three southern Ohio counties: Ross, Highland and Pike.
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Conducted by Adena Health System and other local health agencies, the Community Health Needs Assessment was to wrap up in early July, but area residents are being given a little extra time to take the survey.
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Asti Powell is a Community Health Specialist with the Ross County Health District. She says the online survey will now be available through this Friday, July 19th.
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"We're really looking to engage Ross County residents about their health and their well-being," said Powell. "That can be everything from what people immediately think of as clinical health, and also their environment and barriers that they might have to accessing health care or healthy food and other things like that."
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There are three separate surveys for residents of Ross, Pike and Highland counties.
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The survey for Ross County is available HERE
The survey for Pike County is available HERE
The survey for Highland County is available HERE
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Each survey is anonymous and takes about 15 minutes to complete. They focus on the respondent's perception of the health issues facing their community, as well as their own overall health and conditions.
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"All the responses are going to be confidential," said Powell. "The only data we'll put forth would be aggregate data from everyone who completed the survey."
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The information provided in the survey will be analyzed later this summer. A report on its findings is then expected to be released sometime this fall.
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"The survey is going to give us more information about the health and quality of life for the community," said Powell. "From that data we're going to be able to identify priority health issues and develop a strategic health plan for Ross County with the goal that that would be used to ensure that all of our citizens have equal and equitable access to health and healthcare resources."
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The Community Health Assessment is required under the Affordable Care Act, signed into law in 2010. The Internal Revenue Service requires all 501c3 health systems, with one or more hospitals, to complete a community health needs assessment for each hospital at least once every three years. It’s intended to support the development of strategies to help improve overall community health.
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"The last one was done in 2016," said Powell. "It was a three-year plan, so we're doing it again. That survey information will be used to develop our next three-year plan on where we're going."