Kids & Family
Beaumont Health System Conducts Community Health Assessment
Diabetes, asthma, obesity, drug-related admission and suicide are identified as the top five health indicators, according to health needs assessments.
To better understand and identify community health concerns, Beaumont Health System conducts community health needs assessments every three years. In 2012, an assessment was completed for each of the three hospitals and the communities they serve:
- Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak
- Beaumont Hospital, Grosse Pointe
- Beaumont Hospital, Troy
“In order to identify the needs of the region, we worked with our corporate planning department to compile and analyze data about our service area; demographics; social and economic factors; and access to health care,” explains Carla Schwartz, director, Community Affairs, Beaumont Health System. “Beaumont conducted an online Community Health Needs Survey and gathered input from community forums, discussion groups, health departments and advisory committees.”
The top five health indicators identified as a result of the recent assessments:
- Diabetes- percentage of adults and children with diabetes in Michigan has increased.
- Asthma- prevalence of asthma in Michigan increased between 2008 and 2010.
- Obesity- in 2010, Macomb had the highest percentage of obese adults, 30 percent; followed by Wayne, 29 percent; and Oakland with 26 percent.
- Drug-related admission- percentage of adults admitted due to marijuana use is steady, while admissions due to cocaine use are decreasing.
- Suicide- the percentage of fatal injuries that were self-inflicted and/or suicide increased in Oakland and Macomb counties.
Adds Schwartz, “With the completion of the health needs assessment, Beaumont has developed individual implementation plans for each hospital. The plans maximize each hospital’s strengths and resources to best address their community’s health needs and improve the overall health and well-being of the residents of Southeast Michigan.”
This assessment is aligned with the Affordable Care Act that calls for all not-for-profit hospitals to conduct extensive community health assessments and develop an implementation strategy every three years. The assessment is considered complete after the health system board approves the implementation strategy and the entire document is made public by posting it on the hospital website.
The community health needs assessments were designed to evaluate the existing health care landscape through interviews, surveys, focus groups and other methodologies.
Beaumont’s implementation plans include the following activities:
- Diabetes- Beaumont diabetes outpatient education programs; support groups; and Healthy Kids Program – a 12-week initiative for children who are overweight and would benefit from a program that focuses on improving health through nutrition, exercise and behavior modification.
- Asthma- Beaumont partners with CARE of Macomb County to deliver “Tar Wars” tobacco cessation program to students; Beaumont’s Lung Nodule Clinics; and “Breathers Club” support group.
- Obesity- Beaumont’s Healthy Kids Program; “7 for $70” heart and vascular screening; bariatric surgery seminars/support groups; cooking classes; and the Women Exercising to Live Longer, or WELL program.
- Drug-related admission- Beaumont partners with West Bloomfield Community Coalition to address drug and alcohol use among area youth.
- Suicide- Beaumont partners with Common Ground on the Mental Health First Aid program and the NoBLE program for bullied children.
Source: Beaumont Health Systems
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