Providing preventative and accessible mental health services and substance abuse services have been identified as the top medical priorities in the region, according to the 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment conducted by Munson Healthcare. The assessment, known as MiThrive, also identified addressing basic needs of living to create resiliency and promote equity as a strategic priority. “Over the past several months, several community organizations and individuals have come together to participate in the community health needs assessment project,” says Christi Nowak, system manager of community health at Munson Healthcare. “It has been wonderful to collaborate with several health systems, health departments and many others to standardize this process.”

As a non-profit hospital system, Munson Healthcare is required to conduct such an assessment every three years. The 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment differs from the previous assessment, conducted in 2016, in that it covers a greater geographic area and features more engaged partners and collaborations. The community health needs assessment process, which lasted 18 months, involved surveying residents and organizations in 31 northern Michigan counties in addition to looking at secondary data. Nowak saysthe next step for Munson Healthcare is to create a community health improvement plan involving many sectors.