Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) Reports
A Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) is a study that identifies the most pressing health needs of the people a hospital serves and sets out a plan to address them. Not-for-profit hospitals complete one every three years. As a not-for-profit hospital serving Stilwell and Adair County, Stilwell Memorial Hospital conducts a CHNA to stay focused on what local residents actually need.
Read or Download Our CHNA Reports
Stilwell Memorial Hospital’s assessments are available to the public here at any time:
A printed copy is also available on request. If you have questions about either report, please contact us.
What Is a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA)?
A CHNA is a formal review of a community’s health needs and how a hospital can help meet them. It looks at local health data, gathers input from residents and community organizations, and identifies the top health priorities the hospital and its partners are positioned to address. Each assessment ends in two things: a written report describing what was found, and an implementation strategy — the hospital’s written plan for acting on those findings.
In short, a CHNA answers three questions for a community:
- What are our biggest health needs?
- Who did we ask?
- What is the hospital going to do about them?
Why Do Hospitals Complete a CHNA?
Not-for-profit hospitals are required to complete a CHNA at least once every three years under the Affordable Care Act (Internal Revenue Code Section 501(r)(3)). The rules also require the hospital to take into account input from people who represent the broad interests of the community — including those with public health expertise — and to make the finished report widely available to the public.
Beyond meeting that requirement, the assessment keeps a community hospital accountable to the people it serves. It replaces guesswork with real data and real conversations, so the hospital’s priorities reflect the needs of Stilwell and Adair County rather than assumptions about them.
How Is a CHNA Conducted?
For its assessments, Stilwell Memorial Hospital worked with the Oklahoma Office of Rural Health and the OSU Center for Rural Health to gather the data and facilitate community input.
- Define the community served. The hospital identifies its medical service area — for Stilwell, the Stilwell, Welling, Bunch, Watts, and Westville areas, along with surrounding communities.
- Review local health data. Demographics, economic conditions, and Adair County health rankings are compiled to show where the community stands.
- Gather community input. Residents and local organizations share their views through a public survey and an in-person community meeting.
- Identify and prioritize needs. Community members name their top health concerns, and the hospital ranks the priorities it can realistically influence.
- Adopt and publish the report. The findings and implementation strategy are documented in a written report, approved by the hospital’s governing board, and made available to the public.
What Health Needs Did the Assessment Identify?
In its most recent assessment, community members identified diabetes, substance abuse, obesity, access to primary care, and mental health as the leading health concerns in the Stilwell area. These came from a community survey completed by 183 local residents. The most common concerns were:
Top health concern | Share of responses |
Diabetes | 12.7% |
Substance abuse | 11.9% |
Obesity | 10.5% |
Accessing primary care | 10.5% |
Mental health | 10.2% |
Heart disease | 10.2% |
Cancers | 8.5% |
Residents also pointed to access to specialty care, and asked for more local specialists, urgent or after-hours care, and women’s health services.
What Is Stilwell Memorial Hospital Doing About These Needs?
After reviewing the community’s input, the hospital adopted an implementation strategy focused on three priorities it is positioned to influence:
- Patient education. Clearer information on the topics residents raised most — women’s wellness, navigating the health system, diet and nutrition, and medication management — shared through printed materials, online articles, and videos.
- Charity care. Sharing the hospital’s financial assistance policy more widely, so more families know that help with the cost of care is available. If you need it, see our financial assistance options.
- Access to primary and specialty care. Helping patients connect with providers accepting new patients and sharing information about visiting specialists to ease the travel burden for local families.
The assessment also recognized transportation and food insecurity as real concerns. While these fall largely outside a hospital’s direct control, Stilwell Memorial Hospital is committed to working with community partners to help address them.
Who Provided Input for the Assessment?
The assessment drew on input from residents and from organizations that represent the broad interests of the community. Alongside hospital and clinic staff, participants included the Oklahoma State Department of Health, Good Shepherd Hospice, Help in Crisis, and Oklahoma State University. Residents across the service area also weighed in through the public survey.
This mix matters: gathering input from public health experts and organizations that work with diverse and lower-income residents is a core part of what makes a CHNA valid — and useful.
Which Communities Does the Assessment Cover?
The assessment covers Stilwell Memorial Hospital’s medical service area in and around Adair County. The primary service area includes Stilwell, Welling, Bunch, Watts, and Westville. The secondary service area extends to Cookson, Proctor, Marble City, and nearby communities, including parts of northwest Arkansas. The assessment also accounts for the makeup of this area, which includes a large Native American population, in understanding local health needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often does Stilwell Memorial Hospital complete a CHNA?
At least once every three years, as required for not-for-profit hospitals under the Affordable Care Act.
Where can I read the reports?
Both the 2024 and 2015 reports are linked at the top of this page. A printed copy is also available on request.
What is an implementation strategy?
It’s the hospital’s written plan for responding to the needs the assessment identifies — describing how it intends to help meet each priority, or explaining why a particular need falls outside what the hospital can address.
Can I share input for a future assessment?
Yes. Community input is central to every CHNA. To share your perspective or ask how to take part, contact us.
Committed to the Communities We Serve
The CHNA is one part of how Stilwell Memorial Hospital stays rooted in the community. To learn more about the hospital and its mission, visit our About page.