Community Health Needs Assessment Identifies Priorities
The 2024 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) results indicate that behavioral health, neighborhood safety and housing, healthy eating options, and health equity are top priorities for Shawnee County. LiveWell Shawnee County workgroup chairs and community groups will meet at 10 a.m. on Nov. 13, 2024 in Claire’s Courtroom at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library to review the results and to begin to identify strategies and interventions that will address the priorities over the next three years.
Organizations such as public health departments, hospitals, and community groups conduct the CHNA every three years. Stormont Vail Health, Shawnee County Health Department, LiveWell Shawnee County, United Way of Kaw Valley, Valeo Behavioral Health Care, Family Service and Guidance Center, University of Kansas St. Francis, and GraceMed led this year’s process. The 2024 Shawnee County CHNA included surveys completed by 3,816 community members, feedback from 12 roundtables with 140 attendees, and analysis of local data. A community Town Hall meeting attended by 55 key stakeholders/community leaders representing 41 organizations assessed all collected information to define the priorities.
The full CHNA is available at Community Health Planning - Stormont Vail Health. Community members are encouraged to stay involved by contacting chairpersons of the groups that will be addressing the identified needs:
• Active Environment: Andy Fry, Chair, farmerfry@gmail.com
• Mental Health Collaborative: Kristen Stock, Chair, kstock@valeotopeka.org
• Healthy Babies: Danielle Twemlow, Chair, dtwemlow@tps501.org
• Healthy Eating: Brenda Jarboe, Chair, brendajarboe@ksu.edu
• Sexual Health Collaborative: Sarah Karns, Chair, skarns@uwkawvalley.org
• Substance Misuse: Haley Gil, Chair, hgil@parstopeka.org
• Tobacco/Aerosol Prevention: Shelley Ramos/Adia Vaughn, Co–Chairs shelley.ramos@snco.us
• Community Inspired Violence Intervention Coalition: Teresa Taylor, teresa.taylor@stormontvail.org
• Housing: Nikki MacMillan, coo@topekahabitat.org
