SLVH Community Health Needs Assessment

SLV Health Asks Community to Participate in 2019 Health Needs Assessment

San Luis Valley Health Gears Up for 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment

As part of its federal IRS requirements, San Luis Valley Health (SLVH) is preparing for its 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). The CHNA is a requirement of all non-profit hospitals to maintain tax-exempt status and helps demonstrate how the hospital addresses unmet needs in the community they serve. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act adds a requirement for hospitals to report progress toward meeting the identified needs of the CHNA. For SLVH, the CHNA helps identify community needs and gaps in services and is used by the hospital in programmatic decisions. Noted by Konnie Martin, CEO, “We do our best work when we’re taking care of our friends and family in our community. We know our communities best and we’re the best to take care of them.”

SLVH conducted its last CHNA in 2016. Priority need areas at that time included substance abuse and mental health services, child development, and wellness. Since then, SLVH has responded to each of these needs through clinical interventions, staffing development, participation in community-based efforts aligned with each topic, sponsored childhood safety events, or implemented process improvements to address priority need areas.

This year, SLVH has engaged the Colorado Health Institute (CHI) to facilitate community conversations with key stakeholders. CHI is the premier, evidence-based resource for statewide data and information. CHI has become a valued partner in a statewide movement to make Colorado No. 1 in health.

San Luis Valley citizens are encouraged to participate in the 2019 process by completing a community health survey, following the links below to give input: https://sanluisvalleyhealth.org/chna/

Survey responses are confidential and need to be returned by May 3, 2019, to help inform priorities. If you have questions about this survey, please contact Christine Hettinger-Hunt at 719-587-1243 or Donna Wehe at 719-587-1209.