Health library

Before we began the labor-intensive and lengthy process to build what we hoped would be the best community assessment tool we’d ever had, we knew from experience that active engagement with a wide range of community leaders, partners and individuals—even more so than during our 2010 and 2013 Assessments—was vital to its relevance and potential.

We resolved to dig deeper into learning the best opportunities to positively benefit our community through our Community Benefit program. Our efforts to engage the entire community in the process were extensive. What we have obtained from the 2015 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) has validated those efforts.

A greater understanding

Physical health was a key component of our 2015 tool, but we also sought input on mental, behavioral and quality-of-life issues—as well as basic needs (e.g., economics and housing) and overall health status perceptions. Our purpose was to assess the physical and mental health status of those surveyed and to more clearly reveal the social determinants of overall health and well-being in Union County.

The 2015 CHNA has provided us with a greater understanding of where we and our community partners stand in fulfilling our respective missions. We now know better where there are gaps in our efforts—and where we must focus our individual and collective efforts. We remain committed to working to remove barriers to good health in order to build a more vital and robust quality of life for everyone.

We hope you enjoy this year’s report— a brief overview of the foundational work we undertook behind the scenes during the 2015 fiscal year. I’d like to thank our community partners and stakeholders for their time and input to help us make this the most comprehensive and informative Assessment we have ever done. We could not have done it without you.

Wendy Roberts,
Senior Director,
Administrative Services,
GRH Community Benefit Officer