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Aspirus Works to Identify Community Health Needs

National Community Health Improvement Week

6/11/2024

Tara Draeger, Director of System Community Health Improvement at Aspirus Health

June 10 - 14 is Community Health Improvement Week. It’s a time to honor those working in partnership to improve the health and well-being of the public.

 

The Aspirus Community Health Improvement (CHI) team works to advance the Aspirus vision by being a catalyst for building healthy thriving communities.

 

The community health team partners with community-based organizations to address basic needs such as food, shelter, transportation, education and more.

 

“As a health care system, we know the services that we provide to community members and the goal is to bridge the gap between health care and community needs so that we can improve the health of the whole person and increase their optimal health,” says Meghan Mattek, Community Health Improvement Lead.

 

The framework for the community health work is identified in the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). This report looks at community data and collects input from the community to identify health priorities that impact the health and quality of life for each community. The team works alongside community partners to help identify strategies that will help address these top health priorities.

 

“We understand that only 20 percent of an individual’s health is attributed to clinical care. The other 80 percent is attributed to those factors in our environment where we live, work, and play. They are often referred to as social determinants of health,” says Mattek.

 

Aspirus has the unique opportunity to be present in the community and come alongside community partners to build solutions that improve the health and wellbeing of the communities we serve. As a team Aspirus works to improve community health by:

 

  • Promoting Healthy Communities
  • Address basic needs such as food, shelter and education
  • Promote healthier lifestyles, one person at a time
  • Knock down barriers to health screenings and needed care
  • Create opportunities for people to improve their lives.

Rural communities face unique challenges, both clinically and in the community. The CHI team tackles issues such as accessibility, lack of resources and capacity of agencies. They continue to help navigate and connect the community to the resources they need to be successful.

 

Tara Draeger, Director of System Community Health Improvement at Aspirus Health, says, “We understand these issues we are solving are complex and multigenerational, and no one organization can address these alone. In order to build healthy, thriving communities, it’s important for Aspirus to be at the table as a partner and as a resource.”

 

 

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