News

Contact: Lauren Brendel, M.S.

BOZEMAN, MT [May 11, 2020] – For more than 110 years, Bozeman Health has been a non-profit organization, dedicated to the health and well-being of Southwest Montana. As part of our non-profit status and federal requirement, Bozeman Health, in partnership with Gallatin City-County Health Department and Community Health Partners, is conducting a health needs assessment for our community. This assessment covers Gallatin and Madison Counties (a Park County assessment was completed in 2019). Results from the community health needs assessment (CHNA) will help inform the three organizations of where to best focus health, well-being, and medical resources in our community. There are two ways community members can participate in the assessment:

• Over the next several weeks, the national research firm PRC, will be contacting approximately 700 randomly selected residents in Gallatin and Madison Counties to conduct phone surveys. The confidential survey will ask questions about residents’ health-related experiences, behaviors, and needs.
• An online version of the survey is also available, in both English and Spanish, for community members to complete. The online survey is confidential, and takes no more than 10 minutes to complete. The survey can be completed by visiting prcsurvey.com/begin/bozemanregion/

“The community health needs assessment is a crucial component of our community benefit work,” said Christopher Coburn, system manager of community health improvement and partnerships at Bozeman Health. “Hearing from the community about their health and wellness helps us to best align planning efforts, develop and strengthen partnerships, and deploy resources in ways that are meaningful, equitable, and transformative. As a nonprofit health system, this work is central to our mission.”

“This collaborative effort to learn from the communities we serve is imperative to how we structure our services and programs,” said Lander Cooney, CEO of Community Health Partners. “Our organization uses this data to help focus our attention on what matters most to keep our communities healthy.”

“The data gathered during the CHNA is critical to Gallatin City-County Health Department’s approach to prevention,” said Tracy Knoedler, director of human services for Gallatin City-County Health Department. The information is valuable in determining community health needs. It enables us to prioritize and focus our attention and resources on initiatives that can have the biggest impact on public health. The questions being asked help us identify the health issues burdening people in our community, and the information gathered is used to create or seek existing programs aimed at addressing those specific issues.”

After the completion of the CHNA, Bozeman Health creates a three-year community benefit/community impact plan that is approved by the health system’s volunteer board of directors. This plan forms the foundation used by Bozeman Health to help guide the health system’s significant efforts in ensuring our mission of improving community health and quality of life is met. Our current plan and implementation cycle comes to an end in 2020 and you can find the current report here: https://www.bozemanhealth.org/about-us/community-benefit/

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About Bozeman Health

Bozeman Health is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving an eight-county region in Southwest Montana. As a nonprofit organization, governed by a volunteer community board of directors, we are the largest private employer in Gallatin County, with more than 2,300 employees, including 250 medical providers representing 40 clinical specialties. It is our privilege to deliver expert, compassionate health and wellness services across the care continuum, designed to meet the diverse healthcare needs of the communities we serve. Learn more about Bozeman Health at BozemanHealth.org.

About Community Health Partners

Community Health Partners (CHP) is a non-profit, federally-qualified health center that serves both Gallatin and Park Counties for behavioral, dental and primary healthcare to anyone regardless of ability to pay. Serving roughly 11,500 patients per year, CHP works to dismantle barriers and focuses on the social determinants of health so that everyone has access to high-quality, patient-centered care. Learn more about Community Health Partners at chphealthmt.org.

About Gallatin City-County Health Department

The Gallatin City-County Health Department (GCCHD) is a nationally accredited health department serving the residents of Gallatin County. GCCHD is governed by the local Board of Health and is comprised of the Human Services and Environmental Health Services divisions. The Human Services division focuses on the health of Gallatin County residents through the services of public health home visiting and maternal-child health, the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) supplemental nutrition program, immunizations, communicable disease surveillance and follow-up, chronic disease prevention, and public health emergency preparedness. Environmental Health Services focuses on the health interrelationships between people and their environment, and works to ensure safe and healthful environments, including adherence to the Gallatin County health code. Learn more about the Gallatin City-County Health Department at https://www.healthygallatin.org.