Waverly Health Center assessment prioritizes chronic disease management, mental health services

Jul. 6—WAVERLY — Most people have heard of chronic illnesses like heart disease, strokes and diabetes.

That being said, Waverly Health Center's Community Health Needs Assessment indicates work still needs to be done the next three years to manage and prevent them.

"We're not hitting the mark as a country, and not taking care of the diseases that people are dying from," said WHC Chief Operating Officer Heidi Solheim.

Solheim said making a difference boils down to changing behavior.

Part of the center's action plan includes continuing to lead the Waverly Area Partnership for Healthy Living. According to its website, the partnership was formed in January 2010 by a group of concerned citizens who wanted to address the issue of obesity.

Solheim said it's time to encourage patients to "get back on track" when it comes to getting their physicals and screenings, and re-engaging them in healthy eating and exercising initiatives.

"We got out of the habit of doing what's right for us," she said.

Waverly Health Center completed its first needs assessment in June 2013 and has completed one every three years in compliance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 and federal tax-exemption rules.

The hope is by drafting the report and implementing action steps, the hospital will be able to keep providing high-quality, person-centered health care.

Internally, Solheim said, the assessment also prioritized finding ways to increase mental health services by identifying more providers and building new partnerships.

Right now, patients face wait times to access mental health services and can't immediately get in touch with "providers who can prescribe the necessary medication," she said, as one example.

That makes new programs, like Unite Iowa — a coordinated care network of health and social service providers — even more important, she noted.

After a person's health and social needs are identified, a shared technology platform can refer a patient electronically to multiple partners and "seamlessly" communicate with providers "in real time."

Specific to Bremer, Butler and Chickasaw counties, Solheim said the report reaffirmed stark disparities between Butler and Bremer counties.

She pointed to a page in the report referencing the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps, a program of the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. In terms of overall health, Butler is ranked 62nd lowest out of Iowa's 99 counties, and Bremer is fourth.

Butler County residents find themselves 80th for "length of life." Bremer County ranks seventh.

The health center's report was completed in collaboration with Community Memorial Hospital, Bremer County Health Department and the Waverly-Shell Rock Area United Way.

Research came mainly through an online survey, with a series of rank-order, multiple choice and open-ended questions.

It was completed by 272 individuals.

Of those, 23.22% were aged 50 to 59 years old. A total of 84.27% were female. Nearly all — 98.52% — were white or Caucasian. And the overwhelming majority live and work in Bremer County.

Compared with past years, Solheim said, there are new questions regarding combating misinformation and disinformation.

"Where do people get their information from?" she said. "Is it from the CDC or World Health Organization, or through social media? These are not questions we would have had to ask before."

Besides chronic disease management and access to mental health services, the health center identified its other priorities as wellness and aging services — obesity reduction, preventive exams/screenings and vaccinations — and unintentional injuries like falls and motor vehicle accidents.

"The priority areas for this period's CHNA action plan did not change significantly from previous assessments. These issues are pervasive and the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated chronic conditions and mental health needs in our service area and across the state," said the report's executive summary.

The full assessment and action plan can be found online at waverlyhealthcenter.org/about-us/community-needs-assessment.

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