Windsor HSA Community Collaborative

The mission of Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center (MAHHC) is to “improve the lives of those we serve.” To accomplish this, we and our community partners regularly reach out to engage in dialogue with people across our area about pressing health needs. The result of this work is a comprehensive local Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA).

This assessment is designed to identify community health concerns, priorities and opportunities to improve community health and health care delivery systems. The geographic area covered by the assessment is 13 municipalities in Vermont and New Hampshire that comprise the Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center Health Service Area (HSA).

The CHNA leads to a local Community Health Implementation Plan (CHIP) with strategies and metrics to improve health and reduce risks leading to chronic disease—not only for individuals, but for the entire community.

This CHNA-CHIP process, which incorporates input from people who represent the community’s broad interests, is an essential part of creating an Accountable Community for Health. It’s the law for tax-exempt hospitals, as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. But it’s also sound medicine. The assessment process fosters engagement, and the results help us understand the specific issues facing our communities so we can develop effective, collective solutions.

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