Assessment of rural health care issues planned

The Northern Nye County Hospital District plans to review the final community health improvement plan (or CHIP), a long-term, systematic effort to address health care problems based on the results of community health assessment activities and the community health improvement process, officials said.

Although the NNCHD’s February agenda hasn’t been scheduled, officials said they hope to review the CHIP next month. Interested parties from throughout northern Nye County are invited to attend, officials said.

The Community Health Needs Assessment completed in May 2019 identified key health needs and issues. It identified a number of priorities including emergency care, public education, behavioral health, substance abuse, cardiovascular health, dental and vision among others.

“The Community Health Needs Assessment last May revealed real-time information related to the status of our health care in northern Nye County,” said Karmin Greber, chair of the Northern Nye County Hospital District. “Because of the wealth of community input, it has had a two-fold purpose: first, to objectively reveal the actual gaps which our friends and neighbors face on a daily basis; and second, to serve as a guide when planning how best to use the hospital campus.”

A Community Health Improvement Plan is a separate process and is typically updated every three to five years.

After completing the needs assessment, the hospital district and Impact Evaluation &Assessment Services, a firm hired by the district, began working on a community health improvement plan.

During the process, a representative from Impact Evaluation and Assessment Services recruited participants by emailing, telephoning and texting, and distributing a flyer. After recruiting volunteers, Evaluation &Assessment Services and Northern Nye County Hospital District held a series of workshops in which participants reviewed data from the Comprehensive Health Needs Assessment and discussed possible solutions.

Officials said Impact Evaluation will make recommendations to the district following the review.

“The only party involved in reviewing the data is Impact Evaluation; they will make their recommendations to the District, and from there it will be on the individuals who have taken on action items to move on them, and if they wish, are always able to request time during the District’s regular meetings to propose initiatives. The District itself has expressed interest in undertaking some specific initiatives, which may be discussed at future regular meetings,” said Margo Teague, a consultant from Impact Evaluation &Assessment Services that the Northern Nye County Hospital District hired to conduct the Comprehensive Health Needs Assessment, and Community Health Improvement Plan.

Those who would like to participate in action groups for any specific health-related needs during the review meeting, should contact Tiffany Grigory, administrative secretary for Northern Nye County Hospital District at nnchd.as@gmail.com.