Macon County General Hospital, Macon County Coordinated School Health, Macon County Health Council, and the Macon County Health Department, are implementing a Community Needs Assessment March 1-April 16.

“A Community Needs survey, the purpose of that is to collect data from our Macon County community to pull that information together to create a map of what our community is sufficient in in Macon County as far as the health initiative goes,”  said Stacey Brawner, Director of Community Outreach at Macon County General Hospital.

The hospital requires a survey to be done every three years.

“The Community Needs Assessment, besides being something required for not-for-profit hospitals, we feel is very important,” Dennis Wolford, Macon County General Hospital Administrator, said. “It should give us a clearer picture of what the community thinks that the health needs are.” 

The Macon County Community Needs Assessment survey consists of 19 questions and is available to those who live in Macon County. 

The information from the surveys will be pulled and compiled in April. The health offices will then pull together as a group and look at the deficiencies in the community to work on solutions for improvement. 

The groups will look at out-based programs that are used in other communities that have been successful. 

“This is their opportunity to step up and hopefully have some level of investment in the changes they want to see take place,” Melissa Ross, Health Educator for the State of Tennessee Department of Health, said. “And we want them to be part of that change.” 

The results will be available to the public in September.

To participate in the assessment, visit www.mcgh.net, or visit the Macon County General Hospital, the Chamber and other health offices. 

Brawner says the goal is to get everyone to participate in the survey to get the most accurate picture of what the community feels its needs are.