FORT MYERS, Fla. — Lee Health announces the release of the 2020 Community Health Needs Assessment, a systematic data-driven report that studies the health status, behaviors and needs of people living in Lee County. The purpose of the assessment is to identify major health concerns, gaps in services and other factors that may contribute to less than optimal health status for local residents.
The assessment was conducted on behalf of Lee Health in partnership with Florida Department of Health in Lee County by Professional Research Consultants, Inc., a nationally recognized healthcare consulting firm with extensive experience conducting Community Health Needs Assessments in hundreds of communities across the United States.
“Approximately every three years, Lee Health performs a health needs assessment to evaluate the health status of the communities we serve, identify issues of greatest concern and develop a strategy to most effectively use our resources to address identified health issues,” said Larry Antonucci M.D., MBA, Lee Health president & CEO. “The information is key to make informed decisions and guide our efforts to improve overall community health and wellness.”
Lee Health’s CHNA was developed alongside community stakeholders. To get a snapshot of the overall health of the community, the survey asked residents about topics such as nutrition, chronic diseases, ability to obtain health care, substance abuse, vaccinations and injury and violence, just to name a few.
Results yielded significant health needs for Lee County in the areas of mental health, substance abuse, nutrition, physical activity and weight; diabetes, heart disease and stroke, access to health care services, infant health and family planning, tobacco use and cancer, among others.
Not-for-profit hospitals and health systems are required to assess community health needs and provide community benefit reports annually every three years. Lee Health has been doing this for many years prior to such a requirement. The full report is available at Lee County CHNA 2020.
For more information, visit LeeHealth.org/community-affairs.
