Community Invited to Share Views on Health in Sangamon County

Springfield Memorial Hospital, HSHS St. John’s Hospital and the Sangamon County Department of Public Health are asking residents of Sangamon County to complete a short survey about health issues in their communities. The survey will be used to guide community health efforts for the next three years.

"Each county we serve has unique health needs,” said Angela Stoltzenburg, Memorial Health director of community health. "Input from local residents is crucial to identifying those needs and formulating plans to address them.”

Nonprofit hospitals like SMH and St. John’s are required by the Affordable Care Act to conduct a Community Health Needs Assessment every three years to identify specific health priorities within the county where those hospitals are located. Hospitals work with other local healthcare organizations and health departments to collect this data and use it to develop a Community Health Implementation Plan to address the selected priorities.

Our organizations share a common goal of providing resources to the communities and individuals we serve,” said Kim Luz-Mobley, HSHS executive director of community health. "We look forward to hearing directly from our community so we can work in partnership with them to address identified needs.” 

The survey, available at memorial.health/chna-feedback/, is an important part of the Community Health Needs Assessment. People who do not have internet access can complete the survey by calling 217-588-7611.

During the previous Community Health Needs Assessment in 2021, public input led to the selection of mental health, economic disparities and access to health as priorities for Sangamon County. That input sparked creation of initiatives like partnering with the city and the county on strategic planning for homelessness, expansion of community health worker programming and a partnership with Motherland Community Gardens.

"The survey takes only a few minutes to complete, but it can have a huge impact on the health of our communities,” said John Ridley, executive director of the Sangamon County Department of Public Health.