Improving the health of western Pennsylvanians and southwestern New York is not only in the best interest of our communities and the region, but also the mission of Allegheny Health Network. We are proud to be part of the communities we serve and are committed to making the lives of our patients, staff, and friends better through the work we do. To gain a better understanding of health needs across the communities we serve, Allegheny Health Network (AHN) undertook a system-wide Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) in 2021.
The 2021 CHNA builds upon our hospitals’ previous CHNAs conducted in 2013, 2015 and 2018 and provides a comprehensive guide for Allegheny Health Network’s community benefit and community health improvement efforts. We identified needs within each of our hospital communities and will be a catalyst to work with our community partners to take a collaborative approach to community health improvement while directing system-wide resources to improve population health throughout the region.
Our initiative aligned with ongoing community health improvement activities in our local hospital service areas as well as public health efforts directed by the Allegheny and Erie County Health Departments. Where applicable, we have aligned our priorities and planning with these local and regional initiatives to foster collaboration in community health improvement. Our timeline is consistent with IRS requirements for all not-for-profit hospitals to conduct a CHNA every three years. Allegheny Health Network views the value of a Community Health Needs Assessment to be far beyond regulatory compliance and we look forward to continued partnership to improve the health of the communities we serve.
An integral part of the CHNA process was community engagement. A Steering Committee of AHN leadership, key hospital, institute and community affairs representatives who guided the CHNA process from inception to completion. Additionally, we solicited input from a diverse selection of community stakeholders and providers through one on one interviews, surveys and other dialogue. Our research partner, Tripp Umbach, was instrumental in collecting and analyzing data and preparing the following report. Tripp Umbach’s expertise ensured the validity
