Community Health Needs Assessment
During 2015-2016, a community health needs assessment (CHNA) was conducted by St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center, Central Maine Medical Center, Community Clinical Services, Healthy Androscoggin and other community health agencies.
St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center (SMRMC) draws most of its inpatient and outpatient population from Androscoggin County, therefore the needs of this geographic area are the focus of the assessment.
Understanding the health needs of a community allows public health and health care organizations to design and implement cost-effective strategies that improve the health status of the populations they serve. A comprehensive data driven assessment process can identify, with a high degree of accuracy, priority health needs and issues related to prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Assessment tools also may assist in pinpointing access to care barriers, utilization of evidence based guidelines, and utilization of health services.