Community health has become one of the most talked about areas of healthcare. To better understand why, we need to know what it is. When we think of healthcare, we typically think in terms of traditional clinic or hospital visits, and eating right and exercising. But healthcare, or rather, health, is more than that. It’s a combination of clinical care; health behaviors, like smoking and what you eat; the environment in which you live, work and play; and socioeconomic factors, like education and income.
To address the non-clinical factors contributing to our overall health and well-being, we have community health. Community Health focuses on determining health-related issues and problem areas within groups and communities, and finding ways to improve them using available resources, partnerships and tactics. To help determine these issues, Lakewood, and other area health systems and public health organizations, complete a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) every three years.
Once the top health needs are determined, Lakewood and its partners work together to develop and implement various initiatives and programs to help address the areas most in need. All these programs are part of Lakewood’s new Community Health initiative, Engage, which is a partnership with local schools, and community and public health organizations.
Click the links to the left to learn more about Lakewood’s Community Health Needs Assessment, and Engage.
Schedule Appointment MyChart Login Pay My Bill