Aspirus Works to Identify Community Health Needs
National Community Health Improvement Week
6/20/2023
Tara Draeger, Director of System Community Health Improvement
June 12 - 17 is
Community Health Improvement Week. It’s a time to honor those working in
partnership to improve the health and well-being of the public.
The Aspirus Community
Health Improvement (CHI) team works to advance the Aspirus vision by being a
catalyst for building healthy thriving communities.
The community health
team partners with community-based organizations to address basic needs such as
food, shelter, transportation, education and more.
“As a health care
system, we know the services that we provide to community members and the goal
is to bridge the gap between health care and community needs so that we can
improve the health of the whole person and increase their optimal health,” says
Meghan Mattek, Community Health Improvement Lead.
The framework for the
community health work is identified in the Community Health Needs Assessment
(CHNA). This report looks at community data and collects input from the
community to identify health priorities that impact the health and quality of
life for each community. The team works alongside community partners to help
identify strategies that will help address these top health priorities.
“We understand that
only 20 percent of an individual’s health is attributed to clinical care. The
other 80 percent is attributed to those factors in our environment where we
live, work, and play. They are often referred to as social determinants of
health,” says Mattek.
Aspirus has the unique
opportunity to be present in the community and come alongside community
partners to build solutions that improve the health and wellbeing of the
communities we serve. As a team Aspirus works to improve community health by:
- Promoting Healthy
Communities
- Address basic needs
such as food, shelter and education
- Promote healthier
lifestyles, one person at a time
- Knock down barriers to
health screenings and needed care
- Create opportunities
for people to improve their lives.
Rural communities face
unique challenges, both clinically and in the community. The CHI team tackles
issues such as accessibility, lack of resources and capacity of agencies. They
continue to help navigate and connect the community to the resources they need
to be successful.
Tara Draeger, Director
of System Community Health Improvement at Aspirus Health, says,
“We understand these
issues we are solving are complex and multigenerational, and no one
organization can address these alone. In order to build healthy, thriving
communities, it’s important for Aspirus to be at the table as a partner and as
a resource.”
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