New Community Health Needs Assessment leads to addition of 3rd grant cycle for Community Benefit

Feb. 22, 2023 -- Reid Health Community Benefit is adding a third grant cycle this year to help address some of the most pressing health needs in Reid's eight-county service area.

Every three years, Reid staff conduct a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) to determine the primary concerns in the region and develop a plan for how to best use Reid's programs and activities to improve local residents' health.

"The CHNA is a big project, but it's so important to our work. It gives us the opportunity to reset based on the current health needs in our communities," said Angela Cline, Director of Community Benefit.

Community input was collected through interviews, focus groups in all eight counties, and a survey provided in English and Spanish. In all, some 1,051 people participated. That feedback was then added to statistical data before a group of community members helped to narrow a list of the top health needs to three areas: Mental health and substance misuse; physical activity, nutrition, and weight; and maternal, infant, and children's health.

"I know the statistical data is important, but I place an even higher value on the feedback we receive from community members," Cline said. "Sometimes data lags, but community members can share what they're experiencing in their communities, their neighborhoods, and even their homes. That's real-time data about health needs.

"We were able to get feedback from all eight counties. That's important because although some of the major health needs we're seeing are similar across our service area, the resources available from county to county can be vastly different, which impacts access to healthcare and ultimately the health of that community."

"The CHNA is a big project, but it's so important to our work. It gives us the opportunity to reset based on the current health needs in our communities." -- Angela Cline, Director of Reid Health Community Benefit

Once the three main areas of focus were identified, an implementation plan for the next three years was created to outline initiatives that could be used to help meet those needs. Key among those initiatives is the Community Benefit Grant Program, which this year will have $300,000 to distribute over three cycles, an increase of $50,000 from the previous three years.

Grants from the program will go to local non-profit organizations that are working to address the three main health needs selected through the CHNA process.

Applications for the first grant cycle -- focused on mental health and substance misuse -- are being accepted now. Requests will be evaluated based on their ability to improve poor mental health-average number of days, death rate due to suicide, death rate due to drug poisoning, adults who smoke cigarettes, depression-Medicare population, and drug and opioid overdose rate.

Other application cycles will follow in the spring (physical activity, nutrition, and weight from April 6 to May 18) and the summer (maternal, infant, and children's health from July 6 to Aug. 17).

For more information about the CHNA, the implementation plan, or the grant process, go to the Reid Health Community Benefit website or call (765) 935-8824.