St. Vincent Charity Medical Center recognizes that health is significantly affected by social determinants, which play a key role in accessing care and achieving good health. In 2019 St. Vincent Charity was part of a collaborative effort to develop a comprehensive Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA).

The top health needs in the 2019 CHNA were identified through input from community voice, community stakeholders, hospitals and public health. This input, along with primary and secondary data, gave a complete picture of the health of Cuyahoga County residents. Since health encompasses not only physical wellbeing, social determinants including safety, housing, education, employment, insurance, food insecurity, etc. were also assessed. A prioritization process including hospitals, the CHNA Steering Committee, and community health workers determined the top health priorities through weighted voting.

The following health priorities were chosen:

• Chronic Disease
• Community Conditions
• Mental Health and Addiction
• Eliminating Structural Racism*
• Enhancing Trust and Trustworthiness across Sectors, People, Communities*

*These are long-term, cross-cutting strategies that will be integrated into each of the other priority areas identified. An intentional plan to address these fundamental contributors to the health of both individuals and populations within Cuyahoga County will be created.

The CHNA is used to help identify and serve the unmet needs of the community. Based on data gathered from this unique county-wide collaboration, St. Vincent Charity defined priority health issues that the hospital will address. This process allows us to focus our resources toward prevention, education, wellness and outreach that will have the greatest impact on the community we serve.

St. Vincent Charity Medical Center's 2020-2023 Community Health Needs Implementation Plan was approved by the Board of Directors on April 1, 2020. It is available here for public review.