MUSC Health and Lexington Medical Center Spearhead Collaborative Community Health Needs Assessment in the Midlands

MUSC Health and Lexington Medical Center, in collaboration with Alliance for a Healthier SC, South Carolina Hospital Association, and SC DHEC are launching a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) this summer to learn how to best serve their shared community.

A Community Health Needs Assessment is a systematic survey involving the community to identify and analyze community health needs. The results provide organizations with the community’s health priorities so they can plan and act upon unmet needs. As a best practice, many health systems periodically conduct a CHNA to understand the critical needs of the communities served. “We are excited to see this collaboration to better understand the needs of the Midlands community,” said Monty Robertson, Director, Alliance for a Healthier SC. “This partnership further enhances the long-term goal of the Alliance, SC Hospital Association, and SC DHEC to align community health improvement efforts between local and state plans.”

“MUSC Health is committed to improving the health of our community through education, research and patient care. Identifying the issues of greatest concern is the first step in strategic development and utilization of our resources,” said Terry Gunn, CEO, MUSC Health Midlands Division. “The information provided from the Community Health Needs Assessment will give MUSC Health and our partner Lexington Medical Center a broader snapshot of the overall health needs of our community and work together to identify ways to decrease barriers to patients to access care.”

“For more than 50 years, Lexington Medical Center has provided quality care to our friends, families and neighbors in the Midlands. We’re excited to partner with MUSC Health for the Community Health Needs Assessment, a valuable tool to help us and MUSC Health identify and address the health needs in our communities,” said Tod Augsburger, president and CEO of Lexington Medical Center.

“Working together, we can continue to find ways to meet the health care needs of Midlands residents and provide them with access to vital resources that will improve their overall health and well-being.”

Residents of Richland and Lexington Counties are asked to complete the online needs assessment here.

It will take about 10 minutes to complete this survey and responses will remain anonymous.

This partnership includes the assistance of numerous community partner agencies such as non-profits, other health care organizations to aid in distributing the assessment. The results from the assessment will allow for the development of a plan to collectively address the needs of the community, both clinical and non-clinical.

Community focus groups will also be conducted throughout the Richland and Lexington counties.  Upon completion of the Community Health Needs Assessment and once results are compiled, a report will be made available. The community will be engaged in the development of strategies to address the identified health needs.

Contact Punam Patel for any additional questions or to request a paper copy of the CHNA.