Saline Memorial Hospital holds health summit to create roadmap to health
October 30, 2024
BENTON, Ark. (Oct. 30, 2024) – Saline Memorial Hospital and community leaders recently began working on a road map to better health for the people of Saline County and neighboring communities. The hospital recently hosted a Community Health Summit, the culmination of a months-long Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), which was launched by the hospital earlier this year.
“We initiated the CHNA with the goal of identifying significant health needs, priorities, goals, and objectives,” said Jeff Bourgeois, interim CEO at Saline Memorial Hospital. “Our hope is that our findings provide a rich foundation for improving and promoting the health of each community member.”
A CHNA is a systematic collection, analysis, and dissemination of information about the health of the community. The Community Health Summit was a key step in this wide-ranging process.
First, Saline Memorial Hospital reviewed the volumes of data available through its own internal resources and from local, state and federal public health organizations. The hospital enlisted the support of health analytics firm Strata, Inc., to collect, quantify and interpret the data and to ensure confidentiality and impartiality.
Next, Strata evaluated the health and wellness resources available in [COUNTY NAME] County, including access to health education, immunizations, hospitals, physicians, screenings and public health.
Third, community telephone and on-line surveys sought input from local residents, physicians, elected officials and community leaders. Almost 100 community members shared their thoughts about various aspects of their local healthcare delivery system and what changes they would like to see.
The comprehensive assessment and resulting, actionable road map to better health is expected to be finalized by Dec. 1. A final report of the results, which will incorporate the discussion at the summit, will be shared with the community.
“The information we gathered provided valuable insight that has allowed us to set priorities for improving health,” Bourgeois said. “The Community Health Summit was the final, critical step in the process. Now the real work—addressing the opportunities and needs identified to improve the health of the community—begins.”
Saline Health System is made up of Saline Memorial Hospital, a 177-bed acute care facility, and Saline Clinics, a network of both primary care and specialty care clinics. The hospital is accredited through The Joint Commission for meeting quality and safety standards, the American College of Cardiology as a Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI, the MBSAQIP as a bariatric surgery center, Optum in the Bariatric Centers of Excellence network, CARF as a rehabilitation center and the AASM as a sleep center. For more information about Saline Memorial Hospital, please call 501.776.6000 or visit SalineMemorial.org. For more information about LifePoint Health, visit LifePointHealth.net.