Central Carolina Hospital – in collaboration with the Lee County Health Department and The Lee Community Action Network (LeeCAN), “A Healthy Carolinians Partnership” – and community leaders recently began working on a road map to better health for the people of Lee County.

On Friday, Sept. 19, the hospital and health department co-hosted a Community Health Summit, the culmination of a month-long Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), which was launched by the hospital and health department earlier this year.

“We initiated the CHNA with the goal of identifying significant health needs, priorities, goals and objectives,” said Dave Santoemma, CEO of Central Carolina Hospital. “Our hope is that our findings provide a rich foundation for improving and promoting the health of each community member.”

“Public health’s mission is to work collaboratively to improve the overall health of our community,” said Heath Cain, Health Director of the Lee County Health Department. “Some great ideas were introduced and discussed during the summit to continue to build upon our mission.”

A CHNA is a systematic collection, analysis, and dissemination of information about the health of the community. The Community Health Summit was a key step in this wide-ranging process.

First, CCH reviewed the volumes of data available through its own internal resources and from local, state and federal public health organizations. CCH enlisted the support of health analytics firm Strata, Inc., to collect, quantify and interpret the data and to ensure confidentiality and impartiality.

Next, Strata evaluated the health and wellness resources available in Lee County, including access to health education, immunizations, hospitals, physicians, screenings and public health.

Third, community surveys conducted from Feb. 3 through Aug. 31 sought input from local residents, physicians, elected officials and community leaders. A total of 494 community members were asked what they thought about various aspects of their local healthcare delivery system and what changes they would like to see. 

The comprehensive assessment and resulting actionable road map to better health is expected to be finalized by Nov. 19. A final report of the results, which will incorporate the discussion at the Summit, will be shared with the community soon after.

“The information we gathered provided valuable insight that has allowed us to set priorities for improving health,” said Santoemma. “The Community Health Summit was the final, critical step in the process. Now the real work—addressing the opportunities and needs identified to improve the health of the community—begins."