Dartmouth-Hitchcock Community Health partners with health care and other community organizations to improve the health of people living in the communities we serve.
Together with public health organizations, town leaders, schools, police, and community organizations, we complete Community Health Needs Assessments every three years. We work together with these partners to change the behaviors and community conditions that have the greatest impact on health, as detailed in our Community Health Improvement Plan.
Along with responding to specific local community needs in communities where we operate primary care clinics, Dartmouth-Hitchcock's Population Health Council reviews community health needs assessments across New Hampshire and Vermont. As a result, we have identified three priorities for community health initiatives across our health care system:
- Improving outcomes related to substance use and mental health needs
- Improving health and well-being of older adults
- Increasing access to well-coordinated care
To do this work, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Community Health:
- Provides leadership and facilitation to community coalitions
- Invests staff resources to support and strengthen existing community health initiatives
- Links community partners to experts within the Dartmouth-Hitchcock system who can provide consultation on evidence-based practices
- Provides targeted investment of health system funds to support the development of community health infrastructure and projects
FY2020 Community Health Improvement Plan
- Dartmouth-Hitchcock FY20-22 Community Health Improvement Plan (PDF) (approved November 14, 2019)
FY2019 Upper Valley Community Health Needs Assessment
- FY2019 Upper Valley Community Health Needs Assessment (PDF) (approved June 13, 2019)
- FY2019 CHNA: Evaluation of Actions Taken to Address Needs Identified in FY2016 CHNA (PDF) (approved June 13, 2019)
- FY2019 Upper Valley Community and Leader Combined Open Ended Response Results (PDF)
- FY2019 CHNA Community Resources (PDF) (approved June 13, 2019)
Thank you for your interest in the Community Health Needs Assessment. Please share your comments with us by using this brief form.
Other Community Health documents
- FY2016 Upper Valley Community Health Needs Assessment (PDF) (approved June 28, 2016)
- Community Benefits Report (FY2019) (PDF)
- Community Benefits Report (FY2018) (PDF)
- Community Benefits Report (FY2017) (PDF)
- Community Health Improvement Plan (PDF) (approved September 2016)
- 2012-2013 Upper Valley Region Community Health Needs Assessment (PDF)
For more information, contact Greg Norman at gregory.a.norman@hitchcock.org or 603-653-6849.
Our mission, vision, and methods
The mission of Community Health is to promote health, prevent illness, and remove barriers that hinder access to health care by working hand-in-hand with the communities we serve.
Vision
We live and work in a community that values physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being for all people. We envision sharing responsibility with the communities we serve to provide well-integrated care from health promotion to prevention and treatment. We envision employees and the people we serve sharing a sense of accomplishment about achievements in community health.
Methods
- Supporting Dartmouth-Hitchcock in responding to the letter and spirit of the community benefits laws in New Hampshire and Vermont
- Focusing on a Target for Change Health Issue, which represents a long-term Dartmouth-Hitchcock focus and commitment to improve a specific community health issue
- Improving population health by working with community partners and leaders
- Providing health education in community settings