St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Needs Assessment Determines Three Priority Areas

 

The results of St. Mary’s Sacred Heart’s 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment have found a lack of access to some basic needs and services in the community area they serve.

Their assessment report is part of St. Mary’s Healthcare overall annual Needs Assessment report done every year by each of their three hospitals.  Sacred Heart Hospital’s Needs Assessment identified three priority community health needs. 2022-chna-sacred-heart_final

They include Access to Healthcare, Addressing Social Needs, and Behavioral and Mental Health needs.

Under Access to Healthcare, those who took part in the assessment survey said there is a lack of community-based programs such as chronic disease-based programs to assist with specific health problems like diabetes and heart disease.

Also they said there is a shortage of mental health resources and pediatricians.

Under Social Needs the biggest problem in this area they said is a lack of transportation, which for many, is a barrier to accessing healthcare resources.

It was found that some low-income people have traded their food stamps for transportation needs resulting in food insecurity.

Supporting research found that Sacred Heart’s location area has a significant percentage of its population living at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, 42.95%, compared to the state’s percentage of 34.26%.

Furthermore, the research found that grocery store and supermarket access is highly restricted in our rural area, with a rate of 7.66 per 100,000 population, compared with 17.46 per 100,000 population.

There is also minimal access to parks with only about 10.14% of the population living within 1/2 mile of a park compared with 17.42% state-wide.

And under Behavioral and Mental Health community stakeholders identified a need for behavioral and mental health resources.

Supporting data revealed that there are more deaths in our area from despair, drug poisoning, and suicide than anywhere else in the state.

There are 18.44% of adults with poor mental health in the Sacred Heart Hospital service area, compared to 16% in the state.

The report listed a number of community, social and non-profit groups the Hospital partners within Franklin and Stephens counties to assist people with their needs, such as the Rotary Club of Hartwell, United Way of Northeast Georgia, and Hart Interdenominational Ministries.

Additionally, the Hospital offers a free Community Health Workers Program where people can meet with a Health Worker who will help them in accessing any number of social and medical services.

A Sacred Heart Hospital Community Health Worker can be contacted by email at [email protected].

You can learn more about the program on St. Mary’s website at Community Health Worker Program.