By Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Livingston County residents are being encouraged to make a difference in the health of the local community by taking a survey.

St. Joseph Mercy Livingston is conducting the survey that focuses on the areas primarily served by the hospital. Every three years, the Community Health Needs Assessment or CHNA helps the hospital system evaluate the changing health and social needs in the communities it serves. Officials say valuable input allows them to gather the community’s perception of need, not necessarily what conventional data might suggest the need is. The health needs identified by the CHNA have been integrated into St. Joseph Mercy Livingston’s three-year implementation plan designed to address those needs with activities that align with its strategic initiatives, mission and vision.

Officials say community input into the process is tremendously valuable and they hope Livingston County residents will take a few minutes to complete the survey and then share it with stakeholders, clients or members. Once completed, the CHNA will be shared publicly online and be utilized to prioritize focus areas for community health improvement and implementation planning.

The deadline to complete the survey has been extended to this Sunday, November 15th. It can be accessed through the provided web link, along with the 2018 report.