Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, the Brattleboro Retreat, and Grace Cottage Hospital are launching a comprehensive community health-needs assessment to engage the communities they serve and learn more about those communities' most pressing health care concerns and needs.
Based on the information received, the medical facilities will develop a three-year implementation strategy to address health care priorities.
The three health care organizations are working collaboratively to gather information by surveying area residents and by speaking with medical providers and with representatives of groups that serve medically underserved populations within Windham County.
The Vermont Department of Health's Brattleboro Office is participating in the process as well by providing population health data and administrative coordination.
The information gathering process will take place from March 1 through 31.
Residents of Windham County and surrounding towns are invited to take a simple 12-question survey regarding the health concerns they have for themselves, their families, and their neighbors.
The anonymous survey will be available in hard copy at many Windham County town meetings on March 6 and throughout the month at each of the partnering medical facilities as well as at Community College of Vermont in Brattleboro and the Brattleboro State Office Building.
Area residents, age 18 and over, can take the survey online at www.wellnessinwindham.org.
Survey results and a comprehensive report will be made available by the end of the year on the partners' websites and at their places of business.