Addendum – Prior Impact
2012 PRC-MCHC Community Health Needs Assessment
Alexian Brothers Health System Service Area
Alexian Brothers Medical Center
The 2012 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) for Alexian Brothers Medical Center (ABMC) identified three top community health priorities:
1. Mental Health
2. Access to Health Services
3. Obesity/Nutrition
Mental health community programming is disseminated through Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital, a hospital affiliated with ABMC. Alexian Brothers Health System (ABHS), national member of ABMC, provided annual financial support to local community mental health centers and domestic violence shelters.
ABMC patient financial counselors and community relations personnel were trained as Affordable Care Act Navigators to assist uninsured members of the community with obtaining health insurance. This assistance was provided to approximately 150 community members in 2015. These services will continue to be offered in the foreseeable future. ABHS, National Member of ABMC, also provided financial support to local social service agencies for the purpose of enrolling community members in Medicaid or subsidized health plans offered on the state exchange. Due to the Affordable Care Act, the number of uninsured individuals in the ABMC community has dropped dramatically, from 13.9% in 2012 to 8.1% in 2015 (2015 Community Health Needs Assessment).
ABMC and St. Alexius Medical Center (St. Alexius), an affiliate hospital of ABMC, funded a full time bi-lingual, bi-cultural Diabetes Nurse Educator to provide culturally appropriate care management education to the mostly low income Hispanic patient population that receives services at the local Federally Qualified Health Care (FQHC) facility. Improvements in the A1C values (long term blood glucose average) were noted among those patients completing the program.
ABMC provided programming for children at risk for Type II Diabetes through its Pediatric Endocrinology Clinic. “Fit Kids” provided, at no cost to the family, a series of educational and fitness classes to the patient and his/her family. The majority of the participants in this program were from low income, Hispanic, and/or Medicaid recipients.
ABMC routinely provides screening education, treatment and referrals at no cost to the community at park districts, senior centers, farmer’s markets and social service agencies.