Community health needs survey extended

If you haven’t already given your two cents on the community’s health, it is not too late. The survey window for completing the community health needs assessment has been extended an additional week, and surveys will be accepted through Oct. 7, 2018.

In an effort to gauge the overall health needs of the community, CHI St. Alexius Health Carrington and Foster County Public Health are surveying area residents to gain community feedback on health concerns and awareness of health services. Results of the survey will provide guidance to CHI St. Alexius Health Carrington and Foster County Public Health on better ways to address health care needs. The survey is part of a community health needs assessment initiated by CHI St. Alexius Health Carrington and Foster County Public Health. CHI St. Alexius Health Carrington and Foster County Public Health are receiving assistance in conducting the assessment from the Center for Rural Health at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

CHI St. Alexius Health Carrington and Foster County Public Health strongly encourage all area residents to participate in the survey and help them meet their goal of completing 260 surveys. Surveys are available to area residents through various channels, including through members of a Community Focus Group, service clubs, stores, churches and other public venues. Residents may access an interactive, online version of the survey at http://tinyurl.com/Carrington18. Additionally, written copies are available by calling by CHI St. Alexius Health Carrington at (701)652-7250 or Foster County Public Health at (701) 652-3087. All survey responses are anonymous, and there is no way to track responses back to individuals. To help ensure anonymity, survey responses are returned to the Center for Rural Health and a postage-paid return envelope is included with each written survey.

The survey allows CHI St. Alexius Health Carrington and Foster County Public Health to gain feedback on local health care services, hear suggestions, help identify any gaps in current and future services, and determine preferences for using local health care versus traveling to other facilities. In addition to specific questions, the survey also seeks general, open-ended input from residents about the community’s health needs and the delivery of local health care. Completing the survey takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

A periodic community needs assessment is one of the new requirements of health care reform laws. The new regulations require non-profit hospitals and public health units such as CHI St. Alexius Health Carrington and Foster County Public Health to assess the community’s health needs periodically. The cost of the survey is covered by the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Grant Program, a project of the Center for Rural Health. The Flex Program is a state-based partnership that works with and assists all rural hospitals to stabilize and sustain their local health care infrastructure.