SGMC Lanier Campus Releases Community Health Needs Assessment Findings

Lakeland, GA – SGMC Lanier Campus has finalized its FY2016 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) Report and posted the findings on its website, www.sgmc.org.The CHNA is a federal requirement for all not-for-profit hospitals under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of March 2010. It is a systematic, data-driven approach to determine the health status, behaviors and needs of residents in the Lanier County area.  In June 2015, Lanier County residents were surveyed and interviewed to identify the most pressing health needs of the community. This information will be used to make informed decisions and guide efforts to improve community health and wellness.Research found that residents in this region rank diabetes management and education, teen pregnancy, healthcare access for under/uninsured population, and primary care as major health concerns. Over the next three years, SGMC Lanier Campus will work alongside other community agencies such as Lanier County Family Connection, Lanier County UGA Extension, and Georgia Department of Public Health South Health District to host programs that address these health concerns. Programs include free community health lectures on diabetes and a teen pregnancy prevention education seminar. SGMC Lanier Campus contracted with Barlow-McCarthy, a national research firm, to conduct the CHNA. The assessment gathered information about the health status of residents by using two information formats:  area telephone surveys and one-on-one interviews and state and national publically reported data. For more information on the CHNA, the implementation plan, and programs that address the community needs visit www.sgmc.org/lanierchna.