Part V, Line 1j - Description of Other Needs Assessment
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a. Sebasticook Valley serves a population of approximately 34,000 people in Southern Penobscot, Southern Somerset, Northern Kennebec, and Western Waldo Counties. The counties where the largest number of patients reside, Penobscot and Somerset, had median annual household incomes of $43,382 and $38,141 respectively. Families living in poverty numbered 17.4% in Penobscot County and 18.2% in Somerset County.1.b. Sebasticook Valley Health and its related physician practices utilize extensive electronic medical records, including disease registries, which provide a vast amount of data relative to patients in care. The needs assessment provides a broader picture of the community as a whole, including the health status and social-demographics (such as employment, income, and education levels). The local units of the State's public health infrastructure (known as Healthy Maine Partnerships) are also itegrated into the process so that their relative to health, environmental and social measures are part of the community dissemination process.1c. In the Somerset County/Sebasticook Valley service area, key collaborators include, Sebasticook Valley Health (Hospital/primary care services/outpatient services), Sebasticook Family Doctors (FQHC), other primary care practices, Healthy SV (public health /HMP) coalition partners , including schools, EMS services, law enforcement, members of the business community, and public officials. 1d-1e-1f EMHS, the parent company of Sebasticook Valley Health, routinely conducts a community health needs assessment (Hereafter needs assessment) across the service area of all of its member hospitals. The most recent assessment, published in 2014, was conducted in partnership with Sebasticook Valley Health, member organizations, district public health coordinating councils, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and the Healthy Maine Partnerships. The final needs assessment report includes aggregate data from the 2014 EMHS Qualitative Stakeholder Survey disseminated in June across eight Maine counties, the University of Wisconsin County Health Rankings (2014), and the 2011 OneMaine Community Health Needs Assessment. Together, the data provide a unique perspective on the health of Maine communities and the population Sebasticook Valley Health serves, with a focus on the social, environmental, and clinical factors that influence the ability of populations to lead healthy lives. 1.g.The data gathered from the 2014 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) allowed Sebasticook Valley Health to identify areas of significant need including priority concerns, gaps in healthcare services, and barriers to care. A hospital task force considered the data and identified areas of significant needs to be addressed, as well as areas of need unable to be addressed by the hospital. An implementation strategy was presented and adopted by the hospitals board of directors. The Implementation Strategy consists of actions the hospital intends to take to address the health need. Programs/resources the hospital plans to commit to address the health need were identified along with planned collaborations with other area organizations.1.h. The 2014 Community Health Needs Assessment findings were presented by the Sebasticook Valley Health Director of Community Health and Education during an annual coalition meeting of community partners. This meeting was open to the public and publicized through electronic communications, including email and Facebook. Attendees included representatives from the hospital, the regional Federally Qualified Health Center, two school districts, chamber of commerce, municipalities, social service providers, and community volunteers. The presentation focused on the needs assessment county data report compared to the state health trends. Attendees were invited to visit the EMHS website to access the full needs assessment report and data analysis. Following the presentation, attendees were asked to participate in small group discussions to discuss the data trends, identify health priorities for the hospitals service area, and brainstorm possible action steps based on current state, capacity, and resources available. The Director compiled the information and drafted a preliminary implementation plan, which was then circulated electronically to meeting attendees seeking additional feedback, revisions, and approval. 1.i The 2014 CHNA report presents findings of three sets of data, by county. The data sets include absolute indicators of health status as gathered in 2010 using BRFSS and other primary source data gathered using empirical methods; A qualitative stakeholder survey conducted in 2014 and 2014 County Health Rankings indicator set. The qualitative stakeholder survey was disseminated broadly to public health and community stakeholders who serve local populations. As such, the Community Health Needs Assessment does not provide for random assignment of survey respondents, nor does it attempt to function as a surveillance instrument. Limitations aside, taken together, the data provide a unique perspective on the health of Maine communities, with a focus on the social, environmental, and clinical factors which influence the ability of populations to lead healthy lives.
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Part V, Line 3 - Account Input from Person Who Represent the Community
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Key collaborators were convened as an advisory committee to review the Needs Assessment and assist in the dissemination of a survey instrument to a broad base of key informants representing healthcare, public health, and community stakeholders to identify issues and opportunities for collaborative community health improvement. These collaborators include: Local Public Health District Officials: Stacy Boucher, Aroostook District Coordinating Council; Paula Thomson, Central District Coordinating Council; Becca Matusovich, Cumberland District Public Health Council; Alfred May, Downeast Public Health Council; Jessica Fogg, Penquis District Coordinating Council; Clarisa Weber, Wabanaki Public Health. Healthy Maine Partnerships (contracted entities functioning as part of the local public health system): Jamie Comstock, Bangor Region Public Health & Wellness; Elsie Flemings, Healthy Acadia; Carol Bell, Healthy Aroostook; Anne Lang, Healthy Casco Bay; Joanne Joy, Healthy Communities of the Capital Area; Zoe Miller, Healthy Lakes; Fran Mullin, Healthy Northern Kennebec; Kristen Dow, Healthy Portland; Lucie Rioux, Healthy Rivers; Karen Hawkes, Healthy Sebasticook Valley; Malissa Boynton, Healthy Wabanaki; Vyvyenne Ritchie, Healthy Waldo County; Jane McGillicuddy, Partnership for a Healthy Northern Penobscot; Robin Mayo, Piscataquis Public Health Council; Ellen Willinghan, Power of Prevention; Bill Primmerman, Somerset Public Health; Eleody Libby, Washington County: One Community. Other Entities: Federally Qualified Health Centers, Bangor Public Health and Community Services, Portland Public Health.
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Part V, Line 4 - List Other Hospital Facilities that Jointly Conducted Needs Assessment
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The CHNA was developed and implemented as a collaborative between the EMHS Healthcare System and other independent hospitals serving Maine communities. EMHS Member Organizations: Acadia Hospital, Blue Hill Memorial Hospital, Charles A. Dean Memorial Hospital, Eastern Maine Medical Center, Inland Hospital, Mercy Hospital, Sebasticook Valley Health, and TAMC. Partnering Hospitals: Cary Medical Center, Down East Community Hospital, Houlton Regional Hospital, Maine Coast Memorial Hospital, Mayo Regional Hospital, Millinocket Regional Hospital, Mount Desert Island Hospital, Northern Maine Medical Center, and Redington-Fairview General Hospital.
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Part V, Line 5c - Description of Making Needs Assessment Widely Available
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Instructions on the website assist viewers to download and/or print sections of the report. Individuals without computer or printer access were provided a phone number where they can request a printed assessment.
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Part V, Line 6i - Describe Other Needs Identified
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The 2014 needs assessment health priorities for Sebasticook Valley Health are lack of insurance or an inability to pay for care, hunger and food insecurity, preventive care and self-management, tobacco use, and substance abuse. Initial action steps to be implemented in the coming year(s) to address the health priorities identified include the following:Lack of Insurance/Inability to Pay for Care:Partner with the Federally Qualified Health Center and community partners to educate patients and the general public about the Healthcare Exchange.Link patients without health insurance to Certified Application Counselors for assistance with the Healthcare Exchange application process.Hunger/Food InsecurityCollaborate with school and community partners to implement school and community-based gardens.Collaborate with the Healthy Maine Partnership to increase the number of worksites providing or promoting farm share programs to employees.Partner with the Federally Qualified Health Center and other community partners to promote and sustain the Snack Pack Program.Partner with farmers to facilitate donations of unused food to community partners, such as food pantries, schools, senior housing, and public dinners.Preventive Care & Self-ManagementEngage community partners to establish and implement plan for delivery preventive health screenings in our most rural communities.Convene stakeholders to discuss possibility, barriers, and benefits of extended provider office hours to late day/evening to accommodate working families.Collaborate with community partners to provide patients with local Primary Care Provider information at the time of Emergency Department registration.Tobacco:Provide technical assistant to local worksites to establish tobacco-free policies that include financial assistance/insurance coverage for tobacco cessation products.Collaborate with healthcare partners to coordinate onsite provider tobacco cessation educationPartner with community organizations to educate the general public about local tobacco cessation services and programs. Substance Abuse:Partner with schools to coordinate education sessions for parents and students about the science of addiction.Partner with community organizations, healthcare partners, and local pharmacies to provide patients with safe storage and disposal information.Continue to utilize the Prescription Monitoring Program and provide ongoing education/training opportunities for Providers.Sebasticook Valley Health serves over 34,000 in more than a dozen towns in Central Maine in the counties of Southern Penobscot, Southern Somerset, Northern Kennebec, and Western Waldo Counties. Central Maine serves a significant number of patients who utilize either Medicare or Medicaid (Maine Care) as their primary source of coverage for healthcare. The area has a diverse business and industrial base, however, no large companies or industry are located in the region.Sebasticook Valley Health works with other area healthcare organizations and providers, businesses, and industries, municipalities, civic organizations, communities of faith, schools, and private individuals and families to bring the highest quality of healthcare to the region. SVH also recognizes its role in helping the Sebasticook Valley be a healthy and economically vibrant place to live and work and collaborates with a number of partners to enhance the region's health in the broadest sense. Sebasticook Valley Health provides free transportation to our facilities; this is critical service to connect vulnerable populations, largely the elderly - with care services.
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Part V, Line 7 - Explanation of Needs Not Addressed and Reasons Why
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Unemployment/Economic OpportunityDomestic ViolenceAffordable HousingBehavioral/mental health services for children and adultsDental Care/Oral HealthSubstance Abuse TreatmentPrescription Drug AssistanceTransportationWhen selecting health priorities for Sebasticok Valley, community partners took the following factors and questions into consideration:What is the current staffing capacity to lead strategy implementation;What is the current grant and agency funding to support strategy implementation;Is there grant funding likely available that could assist with strategy implementation;Can SVH and the community partners realistically make an impact on the health priority given the current state/context;Is there a measure we can easily identify and track; andIs there existing or emerging energy around a health priority that would assist us with strategy implementation?After a series of small group discussions, taking into account the noted considerations, it was determined that the health priorities listed are not feasible at this time.
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Part V, Line 14g - Other Means Hospital Facility Publicized the Policy
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Signs and individual notices are posted in key public waiting areas in the hospital, Physcian practices and on the website regarding information pertaining to Free Care. These notices inform the patient of the availability of Free Care including the eligibility criteria and instruction on how to apply, obtain additional information or assistance.
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Part V, Line 20d - Other Billing Determination of Individuals Without Insurance
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Hospital charges are discounted at 100% for the patients who qualify for Free Care with income at or below the 200% FPL.
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