Every three years, we partner with like-minded community partners and local coalitions to conduct Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNA) for which we survey community members about their health, lifestyle behaviors, finances, access to health services and other related topics. We use these CHNA reports to identify specific community needs and develop strategies to address them.
WellSpan’s Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) provides a framework for the organization’s programs and activities that promote health and wellness in response to the needs identified in the CHNA reports. These areas of focus meet at least one, and often several, of the community benefit guidelines of a nonprofit health system, as outlined by the Catholic Health Association: improving access to healthcare services; enhancing the health of the community; advancing medical or healthcare knowledge, or relieving or reducing the burden of government or other community efforts. Specific priorities are then incorporated into WellSpan’s annual operating plan and budget.
Based on the most recent CHNA reports, WellSpan's current three-year priorities include:
