Central Carolina Hospital – in collaboration with the Lee County Health Department and The Lee Community Action Network (LeeCAN), “A Healthy Carolinians Partnership” – released the findings of its 2026-28 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) today.

The health needs assessment was completed in 2025 to identify the most significant health needs of Lee County and surrounding areas and to build a roadmap to achieve better health for the area. Working together, the agencies have identified the following health needs as top priorities for our community:

• Access to care
• Mental wellness
• Nutrition and access to healthy food

“We've spent considerable time reviewing local health data and listening to the concerns of our community, and from that, it's clear that attention and resources are needed on addressing these priorities,” said Dave Santoemma, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CCH.

“At Central Carolina, we are deeply committed to our mission of making communities healthier – both inside and outside of our hospital walls,” he said. “By addressing these issues directly, we have the opportunity to make a meaningful and lasting difference for everyone we serve, both now and in the years to come."

“The Lee County Health Department, along with LeeCAN and CCH, work daily to improve the lives of the residents we serve,” said Heath Cain, Lee County Health Director. “The surveys received to develop the Community Health Needs Assessment are a great tool to provide us a blueprint to do just that, as we all work together to implement new strategies and build upon existing plans to make our community healthier.”

In addition to defining priorities for health improvement, the CHNA also creates a collaborative community environment uniting healthcare providers, citizens, government, schools, churches, not-for-profit organizations and members of the local business community to improve the overall health and well-being of the community. Working with these entities, as appropriate, Central Carolina Hospital and the health department will focus on driving the following strategic initiatives: 

• Improving access to primary care
• Increasing awareness of and access to mental health services
• Improving the community’s nutritional health and decreasing food insecurity

To learn more about the CHNA, visit Central Carolina Hospital’s website at www.CentralCarolinaHosp.com/chna.