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Community Needs Assessments and Marketing

Community Education about Local Health Care

Community support of the local health care system is vital if the system is to remain viable.  Informed citizens are more likely to use and support the local health care system if they have an understanding of the impact it has on the local economy and quality of life. The Center’s staff conduct community forums on a variety of topics:  network development, community health system planning, recruitment and retention, and health information systems.

Community Needs Assessment

The Center has assisted dozens of hospitals and health councils during the past ten years with community needs assessments and perception surveys. The assessments include:

  • Survey development
  • Random sampling and mailing list creation
  • Survey printing and distribution, tabulation and summary of results, including comparison with The Center’s rural database
  • Presentation of results to local governing boards
  • Online surveys are also available

Employee Satisfaction Survey

Employee satisfaction surveys provide insight into organizational health, especially quality of patient care and retention of qualified health professionals. The Center offers an employee satisfaction survey designed specifically for rural clinics and hospitals. This survey measures perceptions, attitudes and satisfaction. The Center analyzes data and makes recommendations for improvements in policies and organization. The survey and process are based upon Conducting Hospital Employee Feedback Surveys: Practical Step-by-Step Information for Assessing Employee Perceptions, Linda Powell, Mountain States Group, Inc. Boise Idaho. 

Focus Group Sessions and Key Informant Interviews

Understand the community’s perspective on health care services through focus groups and key informant interviews. The Center develops survey questions, facilitates focus groups, and documents findings. Based on these findings, The Center also makes recommendations for action.

Rural Economic Impact Assessment

A hospital’s role as employer and purchaser of goods and services has a direct (and indirect) impact on the economy of its service area. The Center researches and analyzes this impact, helping both hospital and community understand the effects of hospital spending.

Secondary Data Collection 

Secondary data collection organizes local, state and national statistics that may affect health status, access, and future health needs.  The collection compares the community's county health status to same-state counties of a similar size, or to state-wide averages, by gathering and synthesizing the following data:

  • Behavioral health risks
  • Births and major causes of deaths
  • Health care service access
  • Income, poverty, employment, unemployment
  • Population (changes and projections, age, race)
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