Engaging communities, providers, and academia to identify and address health service needs

The presentation provides results from a solution-based community needs assessment that resulted from a collaborative partnership with academic institutions, health care systems, health insurance company, community-based organizations, and citizens in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The mixed method approach resulted in over 1500 surveys completed and returned, focus groups, and interviews. Community health needs were identified and prioritized, hospital-level strategic initiatives executed, and community-based plans developed. The presenters will discuss the initial process of the collaborative planning in research input, design, and evaluation. Specific strategies for engaging citizens, physicians, business leaders, and other key stakeholders are discussed. The presenters explain how the results from the solution-based needs assessment were used to impact health status in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Strategies for engaging and sustaining a collaborative partnership are described. Additionally, the presentes will discuss the efforts this collaborative partnership made in better understanding and strategies to address an outmigration of care problem in Northeastern Pennsylvania effecting the economic forces and resources in the region. Perceptions from citizens and physicians in the region are also described. The presenters conclude with recommendations for sustaining academic/health/community partnerships, impact on public health in a region, and implications for health services planning and delivery.