Yesterday, some of you may have received an email with an advance copy of the 2022 HASD&IC Community Health Needs Assessment. While it’s not available publicly yet, wanted to share a few thoughts ahead of its upcoming release.
Despite the tremendous challenges and unprecedented struggles during the pandemic, hospitals and health systems, community collaboratives, county public health, community clinics, philanthropic organizations, and community-based organizations created opportunities for us to learn while they continued to serve San Diegans — even in the midst of extreme loss, exhaustion, and uncertainty. To everyone who supported this important work, we extend our heartfelt gratitude.
None of this report would have been possible without collaboration. In fact — for the first time ever — every private hospital, health system, health district, and behavioral health hospital in San Diego County participated in this collective effort to better understand the community’s health and social needs. Even as our hospitals were managing multiple surges of COVID-19 hospitalizations, more than 33,000 hospitalized and over 5,400 lives lost since early 2020, they remained committed to engaging and understanding the needs of the communities they serve.
Described in this report are the top needs identified by our community engagement and research, including:
- Access to Health Care
- Aging Care & Support
- Behavioral Health
- Children & Youth Well-Being
- Chronic Health Conditions
- Community Safety
- Economic Stability
The report also highlights two foundational challenges that are intensifying, growing, and continuing to severely impact those top needs — increasing health disparities and unprecedented workforce shortages and burnout.
Once released, the full report can be found on the HASD&IC website. It is my sincere hope that these findings will be used to inform your decision-making, programs, and strategies better to meet the needs of the communities you serve. If you have any questions or would like to request an early copy of the report, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
