Bonner General Hospital is committed to meeting the health needs of our community.  One of the ways we strive to ensure we’re fulfilling our commitment is by conducting a periodic assessment of our community’s health needs.  

The purpose of a community health needs assessment is three-fold:

• Identify local healthcare needs

• Strengthen the hospital’s programs and services

• Increase community awareness of the resources currently available

The hospital is presently conducting a community health needs assessment and will be seeking input from numerous local residents throughout this process.  The assessment is being conducted in two phases and is expected to be finalized by year end.  A report of the results will be shared with the community.

The first phase of community involvement in this project is already underway.  Telephone interviews are now being conducted by Professional Research Consultants, Inc.  Local residents are being asked what they think about various aspects of their local healthcare delivery system and what changes they would like to see.  If you are contacted by PRC to take part in one of these surveys, we encourage you to participate.  Community input is essential to this process!

The second phase of community involvement in this process will involve focus group interviews with designated community members.  The purpose of these interviews is to ascertain their perceptions of local healthcare delivery.  These interviews will take place in mid-October.

The information and data gathered through this process will be compiled and summarized by Professional Research Consultants, Inc. to ensure confidentiality and anonymity of the participants.  The results will be shared with Bonner General Hospital’s board of directors and administration to help them develop and refine the hospital’s programs and services to ensure they target the community’s healthcare needs.

If you are asked to participate in this community health needs assessment, please make every attempt to do so.  As the hospital prepares for the future, we are looking to you — those who use the hospital’s services — to share your thoughts and opinions about what our community needs. 

Lynda Metz is the director of community development at Bonner General Hospital.