By Mary O’KEEFE

The summary of the 2016 Community Health Needs Assessment was presented to the Glendale Hospitals Collaborative at a meeting held on Sept. 14 at Dignity Health – Glendale Memorial Hospital. The summary is prepared every three years from data collected from the areas serviced by Glendale Adventist Medical Center, Dignity Health Glendale Hospital Health Center and USC Verdugo Hills Hospital for the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA).

The data was collected during focus groups with key stakeholders, including health care professionals, government officials, social service providers, community residents, leaders and other relevant individuals, according to the Center for Nonprofit Management.

Previous findings were used to prioritize the health needs and

drivers of health for each medical center/hospital. Those health outcomes include in priority order: mental health, obesity, alcohol and substance abuse and tobacco use, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, stroke, communicable and infectious diseases and sexual health/sexually transmitted diseases.

Health drivers (key leverage points) include in priority order: homelessness and housing, alcohol and substance abuse and tobacco use, poverty, access to health care, dental care, violence/injury safety, preventive wellness, geriatric support and transportation.

Although the final report that will include more regions of La Crescenta, Montrose and Glendale will be released to the public at a later date, the CNM did share some of the findings.

The number one Health Outcome that was looked at was mental health, which showed that the service areas covered had a higher rate of alcohol and drug induced mental illness than the average in Los Angeles County. USC-VHH had a rate per 100,000 adults of 162.6, GMHHC was 139.4 and GAMC of 145.2 compared to L.A. County at 125.8.

With those hospitalized for mental health issues, USC-VHH had a much higher rate per 100,000 persons than the County. USC-VHH service area rate for adults 18 years and older was at 846.5, L.A. County was 677.0 for the same ages. In youth, USC-VHH was slightly higher than the County with 396.2 vs. 377.1.

This data showed that Montrose was more than four times the County rate. It also found that Pasadena in the 91105 area was four times more than the County for youth 18 and younger.

In most areas, the three medical centers/hospitals showed higher levels of issues than the state or county including hospitalizations resulting in heart failure per 100,000 persons with the state rate at 339 and GAMC at 447.0.

The data did show that most people in the area felt they had access to medical care. Two out of three people felt they had adequate social and emotional support as well.

The data will be discussed at each medical center/hospital, trends will be identified and a strategy will be planned.

  Mary Okeefe