Community Health Needs Assessment

Not only is Burnett Medical Center receptive to our patients' needs inside our facility, but we are outside in the community as well. As a tax-exempt hospital, we are required by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to conduct a Community Health Needs Assessment every three years. In partnership with the Burnett County Department of Health and Human Services-Public Health we have conducted routine Community Health Needs Assessments since 2013. The goal of a Community Health Needs Assessment is to identify the most significant health needs among Burnett County residents. As a result, we develop an action plan to address the identified health needs. Here is Burnett Medical Center’s 2022, 2019, 2016, and 2013 Community Health Needs Assessments.

When the first Community Health Needs Assessment revealed opportunities for improving Burnett County's health status, Burnett Medical Center took a lead role in these efforts. Rather than just simply meeting a requirement, Burnett Medical Center’s partnership with the Burnett County Department of Health and Human Services-Public Health created an infrastructure for continual health improvement. 

This infrastructure was known as the Healthy Burnett Coalition, which was formed in 2013 as a result of the Community Health Needs Assessment. Healthy Burnett was led by Burnett Medical Center and the Burnett County Department of Health and Human Services-Public Health. This coalition brought together key community stakeholders to align activities and resources to enhance how the community addresses the identified health needs. Over the years, Healthy Burnett also developed 3-year strategic action plans, which aligned activities to improve Burnett County’s top three health needs for that year. The 2022 strategic action plan focused on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse, Behavioral Health, and Infectious Disease.

Unfortunately, a consequence of the pandemic has been limited bandwidth to revive this coalition since leading efforts in a large group setting was challenging. However, Burnett Medical Center and the Burnett County Department of Health and Human Services-Public Health will continue to partner and complete the required Community Health Needs Assessment every three years.