Community Health Needs Assessments and Plans
Understanding the health of the community goes beyond data collection and analysis. It entails meeting face-to-face with and listening to the stories of people who live and work in the community, especially people whose voices may be easily overlooked.
In what ways are their lives becoming healthier? What stands in their way to achieving health and well-being? What do they need to enhance their ability to lead healthy lives? These are all important questions that, coupled with data, paint a picture of opportunity for action.
Every three years, ThedaCare conducts a Community Health Needs Assessment in partnership with Public Health and many other stakeholders to find answers to these questions. This enables us to focus our Community Health efforts where they matter most. Through a rigorous process that engaged more than 150 diverse community voices, three community health priority areas emerged – Mental Health, Substance Use, and Chronic Disease.
Current Community Health Priorities
ED2Recovery
Emergency Department patients presenting with opioid or stimulant use are offered a free Recovery Coach (or Peer Support Specialist) who has been down the road of addiction themselves. This program has proven to reduce ED readmission, engage patients in substance use treatment, and reduce overall substance use.
Be Well Fox Valley
Be Well Fox Valley is a collaboration among ThedaCare, Ascension, Aurora, Childrens Wisconsin, Network Health and many other partners to advance a culture of health and well-being for all in the Fox Cities.
Be Well Fox Valley is launching Eat Well for Life in the spring of 2021 to provide diabetic patients 18 weeks of education and access to healthy food through a partnership with Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin. This model has proven to reduce admissions, improve A1c scores, lower BMI and blood pressure.
Screening for Social Determinants of Health
With more than 40% of health resulting from social determinants such as housing, transportation, food insecurity, financial strain, and lack of social connection, ThedaCare is implementing a process to screen for these needs during our primary care visits, inpatient stays, and Emergency Department visits. Patients with significant needs will be referred to community resources through the assistance of a Navigator.
Sources of Strength
Sources of Strength is an evidence-based national model focused on addressing mental health, suicide and substance use among high school youth. Led by high school peers, youth are reminded of the “sources of strength” they have in their lives to provide resiliency rather than turning to self-harm or substances when times get tough. ThedaCare supports this model in high schools across the Fox Cities through the NEW Mental Health Connection and directly supports this model in rural high schools throughout Northeast Wisconsin.
First Five Fox Valley
ThedaCare is a funder and partner of First Five Fox Valley, offering a coordinated central hub called Help Me Grow that provides information, referrals and help to young families so their children can grow and thrive.
Promoting Economic Stability through Basic Needs Giving Partnership and POINT
ThedaCare is a major partner in the Basic Needs Giving Partnership which is engaged in advocacy, regional coordination, and funding to address the root causes of poverty, one of the most significant determinants of health.
