Community Health Needs Assessment

Executive Summary

FY 2017 Community Health Needs Assessment Work Plan / Oaklawn

Oaklawn Hospital conducted this Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) to further its commitment to the community and to fulfill the requirements of the Affordable Care Act. For the purposes of this CHNA, the definition of community is all residents of Calhoun County, Michigan. This CHNA began in October 2015 and was completed and approved by Oaklawn’s Board of Directors in March 2016.

Data on health needs were derived using three methods:

• Data gathered and analyzed from secondary sources such as US Census, Michigan Department of Community Health, and the Center for Disease Control (CDC)
• A community wide survey
• Geographic and demographic based focus groups (Albion community, Marshall community, Seniors, and individuals currently struggling with homelessness and substance abuse recovery)
• Key informant interviews with representatives knowledgeable in the community, service providers, health care providers, medically underserved populations, minority populations, rural populations, and businesses.

This data was analyzed to identify the top health needs of residents of Calhoun County

• Access to healthcare
• Maternal & infant health
• Chronic disease management
• Obesity & weight reduction
• Healthy lifestyle education & support
• Older adult & senior health
• Health disparities
• Sexual health & STI’s
• Mental health

Oaklawn provides services and support to all of these community health needs.  For its FY 2017 focus these top health needs were prioritized using criteria including availability of evidence-based interventions and measures of impact, magnitude of the need, and fit within Oaklawn’s strategy and capabilities.

As a result of this analysis, Oaklawn identified improving access to care, chronic disease management and healthy lifestyle education and support for special attention in FY 2017 for community health improvement. This decision reflects a coming together of the health needs expressed by residents of Calhoun County through survey data, focus groups, and key informant interviews as well as trends related to chronic disease management, obesity, and the impact of healthy lifestyles on health outcomes.

Access to Care 

Oaklawn’s FY2017 initiatives and implementation strategy addressing “Access to Care” will include continuing with the operation of its after-hours facility in Marshall and adjusting service hours to reflect the results of a patient survey conducted in FY 2016. This will help provide additional clinical access to care in non-traditional hours with seven days a week 365 days a year service with the same operational hours each day.

Oaklawn will also continue and again expand its financial and advisory support of the newly established Albion/Marshall connector program. Data has shown that this service is being used by low to moderate income individuals from Albion to access their health care providers in Marshall and that greater support will be needed to continue and expand this service.

Oaklawn will also be opening a new Dialysis Center in Albion to provide care in an underserved community that is in need of this very critical service. This Center will also feature a Home Dialysis component that will allow some patients to undergo their dialysis treatments at home via special equipment and training thus making receipt of treatment less burdensome on the individual needing treatment and their care givers as well. This initiative will also help address the community need for better and more accessible chronic disease management.

An additional new initiative to improve access to care in the community will be a Board directive to expand the use of midlevel providers (PA, NP, CRNA and CNMW) providing direct care to patients.

Healthy Lifestyle Education and Support 

Oaklawn’s FY2017 initiatives and implementation strategy addressing “Healthy Lifestyle Education and Support” will focus on the continued support of our local Farmer’s Market including the expansion of the indoor Farmer’s Market that takes place in the main hospital lobby during the months that the Farmer’s Market is unable to Operate in its outdoor location. This is a new initiative that began in early 2016 and continues Oaklawn’s commitment to healthy food options during non-traditional Market months and expands on our continued commitment to the local outdoor Farmer’s Market during the late spring, summer and early fall. Oaklawn staffs a booth at the weekly indoor farmer’s Market to provide health screening and educational materials as well.

• Oaklawn will also continue with the following programs that promote and support this area:
  Provide fitness training, classes and education through Oaklawn Life Improvement Center (OLIC).
• Stage annual “Hospitality Classic” walk/run event and Health Fair, and 100 Lap Club training through the area elementary schools.
• Offer community garden program through OLIC with community, education on gardening and nutrition, and donation of a portion of the produce to the local food bank.
• Support Marshall Mobile Meals to provide heart-healthy, nutritious options at a subsidized cost for area residents who are elderly, home bound, and/or in need.

Chronic Disease Management 

• Oaklawn’s FY2017 initiatives and implementation strategy addressing “Chronic Disease Management” will include the opening of a new $4,000,000 Dialysis Center in Albion to help address a need for more access to care and management of chronic kidney disease. Oaklawn will also continue the following programs and services that address this community need:
  Provide general education on chronic disease and screening for chronic diseases by qualified staff and primary care providers.
• Offer monthly diabetes education; sponsor community-based diabetes support groups.
• Offer care management/care coordination services to un/underinsured people through social work unit.
• Participate in Integrated Health Partners’ care management collaborative.

Click here to download a pdf of the full executive summary and Oaklawn’s Implementation Plan for all health priorities.

Oaklawn In The Community

Oaklawn’s FY2016 initiative addressing the findings of the assessment will focus on “Access to Care”. Specifically, Oaklawn will open a new after-hours facility in the Marshall area to help provide additional clinical access to care in non-traditional hours and will continue and expand its financial and advisory support of the newly established Albion/Marshall connector program.