NCH’s Community Health Needs Assessment and Implementation Plan now online

Non-profit organizations encouraged to apply for grants

Northwest Community Healthcare (NCH) recently collected data through an online community survey, a key informant health survey, three focus groups and secondary data from a variety of sources to identify the current health care needs of the community. Based on those results, an implementation plan was formed and is now available for residents to view online at nch.org/chna.

Although the needs assessment is an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requirement from the Affordable Care Act, NCH has been assessing and meeting community health care needs for more than 20 years.”This helps us fulfill our mission, address the most predominant needs and be good stewards of our resources,” NCH Director of Community Services Karen Baker says.

The following five key priority areas were identified as community health care needs and will be included in the NCH Fiscal Year 2019-2021 Implementation Plan:

• Access to Healthcare for the Under-Resourced
• Behavioral Health
• Obesity (including Nutrition and Physical Activity)
• Cancer
• Chronic Disease (Diabetes, Heart/Stroke, Respiratory)

Implementation Committees were formed to develop strategies, tactics and outcome measurements for each of the priority areas. The plan will be updated annually with results.

NCH invites not-for-profit community organizations within NCH’s service area* to request donations of $500 to $10,000 by filling out an application. NCH will consider donation requests from charitable organizations that align with the mission, values and needs of the communities it serves. (Individuals and political campaigns are ineligible.)

Applications will be accepted through July 31, 2018 and organizations will be notified by October 1, 2018. Visit nch.org/communityservices to access the electronic application form.

*Service area includes: Arlington Heights, Barrington, Buffalo Grove, Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, Lake Zurich, Mount Prospect, Palatine, Prospect Heights, Rolling Meadows, Schaumburg and Wheeling.