Community Input Sought

(Honesdale, PA — April 16, 2019)… Have your voice heard regarding healthcare services most needed within your community! Wayne Memorial Hospital (WMH) and Wayne Memorial Community Health Centers (WMCHC) are asking the public to complete an internet survey as part of a 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment. In addition to offering valuable input, those filling out the survey may also be eligible to win one of five $100 gift cards through a random drawing.  The survey, which takes about 15 minutes to complete, can be accessed at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CHNA19 until April 25, 2019. Individuals without internet access are encouraged to utilize a computer at their local public library. Additionally, paper copies of the survey will be available at all of WMCHC’s primary care offices.

“The importance of public input into surveys such as this cannot be underestimated,” stated David Hoff, chief executive officer, Wayne Memorial Hospital. Noting that this is the hospital’s fourth community needs assessment since 2009 he added, “The feedback from prior needs surveys has proven very beneficial to our community. It’s contributed to the opening of new services, such as our cardiac catheterization laboratory, and opened new avenues for collaboration with organizations within our service area, including local government.”

The 2019 survey will include new questions, as well as content similar to those in past assessments. Participants will be asked about needs for specific populations, such as youth and adolescents and grandparents raising grandchildren, and about social determinants of health. These include factors such as income/social status, transportation, employment/working conditions and social support coupled with coping skills.

The assessment is being facilitated by HMS Associates who help coordinate the process, analyze and report results. Individuals from hospital, government, local school districts, civic and human service agencies act as an Advisory Committee.  The last Community Health Needs Assessment survey in 2016 received 1,100 participant responses.

The study will be completed by the end of June, 2019 and the final report will be made available to the general public via Wayne Memorial Hospital’s website at www.wmh.org later in the summer.

Questions regarding the 2019 Community Healthcare Needs Assessment may be directed to Wayne Memorial’s Community Health Manager Carol Kneier at kneier@wmh.org or by calling 570-253-8422.