Harney District Hospital (HDH) is pleased to announce that the 2022 Harney County Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) is now available online. You can find it under “Quick Links” on the hospital’s website: harneydh.com. Paper copies are also available by request.

This is the final product of a process involving a community survey, discussions with local health representatives, and the collection and analysis of supplemental data.

The purpose of the CHNA is to gauge the health status, concerns, and needs of Harney County residents in order to plan and implement actions that will benefit the overall health of the community.

This process began in November 2021 when representatives from HDH, the Harney County Health Department, and Symmetry Care Inc. met to draft questions for a community survey. In December 2021, the draft questions were presented to the Harney County Local Community Advisory Council (LCAC), and additional input was received. The questions were finalized in January 2022, and a multimedia campaign was launched to advertise the availability of the survey and encourage community participation.

The survey — which was open from Feb. 1 to March 31, 2022, and available in both paper and digital formats — asked community members to answer a series of questions regarding their individual health as well as their opinions about the community’s greatest health needs.

In June 2022, HDH formed a task force to analyze the survey results as well as supplemental information compiled by the Oregon Office of Rural Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Our Children Oregon. The task force used this data to identify four priority areas of need, which include substance abuse/addiction, mental health, child abuse/neglect/trauma, and obesity/diabetes/chronic illness. The task force also developed a list of goals and strategies that will be used to address each of these needs. Goals and strategies include creating awareness campaigns, connecting patients to resources, developing youth-mentoring programs, supporting and training hospital staff, hosting community events and health fairs, and partnering with local organizations to support community efforts toward health and wellness.

During the next three years, HDH will work diligently toward achieving these goals and strategies. Progress reports will be presented to the LCAC and Harney County Health District Board of Directors every six months. These reports will also be posted to the hospital’s website for the public to view.

You can find the full CHNA document online at harneydh.com. For additional information, or to request a paper copy of the CHNA, call Samantha at 541-573-8318.