City Of Lakewood Launches Community-Focused Health Needs Assessment

The City of Lakewood, Healthy Lakewood Foundation, and Three Arches Foundation will lead a Community-focused Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) and the development of an Action Plan to identify and address current health and wellness issues affecting Lakewood residents. To assist with producing the comprehensive study and subsequent action plan, The Center for Community Solutions was selected as strategic consultant following a thorough proposal review and selection process. Both the assessment and action plan will play a critical role in the implementation of health-centered, equitable programs and initiatives that serve the entire community.

An essential component to understanding the health status and challenges of a population, the CHNA will collect and analyze health-related data through community-based research and other sources. Starting within the next few months, the effort will first focus on an extensive evaluation of the community’s current strengths and weaknesses in relation to the social determinants of health. This participatory project will include interacting with people across Lakewood’s diverse community to generate critical information and resident perspectives.  Surveys, focus groups, and other opportunities for active involvement and feedback from residents and community groups will be publicized throughout the process.

Following this step, Community Solutions will combine and analyze all data to provide a full understanding of Lakewood’s current conditions and community perspectives, leading to development of an Action Plan that will identify efforts needed to both sustain strengths and address gaps, weaknesses, and barriers to equitable wellness.  Collectively, the CHNA and Action Plan effort is anticipated to run through 2022.

Community Solutions is a Northeast Ohio-based nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank that develops solutions to health, social, and economic problems. For 108 years, Community Solutions has worked at the intersection of health, social, and economic factors to serve decision makers in community organizations and government by providing high-quality, reputable analysis, recommendations, and strategic communication to improve the lives of Ohioans.  Applying their vast understanding of health, social and economic issues, Community Solutions will work directly with a Steering Committee comprised of the City Administration and its partners – Healthy Lakewood Foundation and Three Arches Foundation, both offering valuable insight through their respective grant making – as well as a standing Advisory Committee of local organizations and resident stakeholders that bring representative voices and shared knowledge to this important effort.

Initiated at the recommendation of the 2019 Live Well Lakewood Working Group, the CHNA and Action Plan will also incorporate relevant findings of past community-based health and wellness work, including the 2018 Lakewood Connected Health Community 90-Day Assessment and the 2015 Active Living Task Force.  Upon completion, both the assessment and action plan will be critical towards the implementation of health-centered, equitable programs and initiatives to serve all Lakewood residents.

Information related to this effort will be maintained and updated at: www.communitysolutions.com/LakewoodHealth.

About Healthy Lakewood Foundation:  The Healthy Lakewood Foundation (HLF) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit community foundation that was created in 2018 to ensure that remaining assets from the conversion of the Lakewood Hospital will continue to benefit City of Lakewood residents. HLF’s mission is to advance programs, policies, and practices that inspire a Lakewood community in which health and wellness are reflected in all aspects of life. To learn more about HLF, visit www.healthylakewoodfoundation.org.

About Three Arches Foundation (TAF): Three Arches Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that invests in advancing the health and well‐being of the people of Lakewood and surrounding communities through grant making. By connecting people, ideas and resources, the Three Arches Foundation fosters a collaborative approach towards investing in organizations whose work directly addresses the continuum of physical and behavioral health issues. For more information, visit www.threearchesfoundation.org.