Hospital Releases Community Health Needs Assessment

HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital’s Mission has always focused on caring for the poor and the vulnerable in the communities they serve. To continue this Mission, the hospital has been gathering data and engaging members of its surrounding communities over the past nine months to complete a health assessment of residents in St. Anthony’s primary service area of Effingham and Jasper Counties.

St. Anthony’s uses the results of this assessment, called a Community Health Needs Assessment, to develop programs and services that will address the needs identified. Discussion with hospital leadership groups, physicians, community leaders, and the two lead steering committees, the Alliance for a Healthier Effingham County and the Jasper County Steering Committee, led to the identification of the following health needs:

1. Access to Primary Care
2. Chronic Disease:  Diabetes
3. Cerebrovascular Disease:  Stroke
4. Nutrition
5. Smoking

St. Anthony’s Board of Directors recently approved the assessment and implementation plan that will be carried out over the next three years. The complete document is available for review on the hospital Web site,www.stanthonyshospital.org, under “Community Connection – Community Partnerships.”

If you have questions or are interested in being a part of the Implementation Plan, please contact Terriann Tharp, Director of Marketing and Communications, and Interim Chief Marketing/Communications Officer, HSHS Southern Illinois Division, by calling (217) 347-1453 or emailing  terriann.tharp@hshs.org.

HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital is part of the Southern Illinois Division of Hospital Sisters Health System, which also includes HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Belleville, HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Breese, and HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Highland.