Health study underway
DANVILLE - Geisinger Medical Center (GMC), Geisinger-Shamokin Area Community Hospital (G-SACH), a campus of GMC, and Geisinger HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital are again partnering with ACTION Health to identify, understand and plan for the current and future health needs of the communities in Columbia, Montour, Snyder, Union and Northumberland counties.
The key issues identified through the most recent community health needs assessment are: providing access to health care for those who are under/uninsured; helping people live healthy lifestyles; and community development, specifically transportation to medical services.
"As a health system, Geisinger already provides many services in an effort to meet the community health needs identified in the most recent assessment," said Lynn Miller, Geisinger executive vice president for clinical operations. "There is still considerable work to be done, though, and we look forward to continuing to partner with local agencies, universities and educational institutions, state and local governments, and area health care organizations to further address our region's health care needs."
Examples of Geisinger programs that improve access to care for under/uninsured residents include pediatric mental health, dental care, tele-medicine, LIFE Geisinger and support for free clinics in Sunbury and Columbia County. Plans call for further analysis of underserved communities, collaboration with Evangelical Hospital and Bucknell University, a neurodevelopmental screening program and a Geisinger Health Plan (GHP) managed Medicaid product.
Numerous Geisinger programs address the importance of individuals taking responsibility for their health and living healthy lifestyles, including the Safe Kids Coalition, clinical nutrition education and outreach, community education, medication disposal project and medication adherence/indigent support.
Transportation has been identified as a barrier to accessing health care in the region. Geisinger participates in the North Central Pennsylvania Transportation Taskforce with a number of other regional stakeholders and awaits a final recommendation from this taskforce.
"Our goal with the the community health needs assessment findings is to partner with our communities and continue to raise the overall health and well-being of our neighbors," Miller said.
For more information, go to www.geisinger.org/about/.