White Salmon — The Klickitat County Health Department has initiated a county-wide Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) in partnership with Skyline Health and Klickitat Valley Health. The project will help the department understand the health needs of people living in Klickitat County and find ways to improve health in the community.
The CHNA will include a county-wide survey, as well as listening sessions held in different locations around the region, so all community members have a chance to share their thoughts.
This assessment is part of the Affordable Care Act, which requires nonprofit hospitals to do these surveys every three years to identify local health challenges and find ways to improve. The results will help create Klickitat County's 2025-2027 Community Health Improvement Plan.
"We know building a strong health system starts with working together and listening to everyone in the community," said Erinn Quinn, director of public health. "Through the survey and listening sessions, we want to make sure all voices are heard. Working together with Skyline Health and Klickitat Valley Health will help us understand both the strengths and challenges of our community and how we can address them together."
The CHNA will focus on a variety of health issues, including:
Access to healthcare services, especially in areas that may be underserved
Support for mental health and substance use
Prevention and management of chronic health conditions
Health disparities in our community
"By talking directly with community members through surveys and listening sessions, we'll gain a deeper understanding of the specific health challenges our residents face," said Matt Kollman, CEO of Skyline Health.
In addition to information gathered from community members, the assessment will include local health statistics and feedback from healthcare providers and community organizations to get a full picture of the county's health needs.
"Our goal is to identify the most important health issues and come up with a plan to improve them," said Jonathan Hatfield, CEO of Klickitat Valley Health. "We're excited to work with our partners at Public Health and Skyline Health to address the unique needs of our community."
The results of the CHNA will be shared with the public and used to develop a Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). This plan will include specific actions to improve healthcare access, enhance public health programs, and reduce health disparities across Klickitat County.
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