Montrose Regional Health has been serving our communities with high-quality compassionate care for over seventy years. Our mission is to provide healthcare services to our communities with excellent service, compassion and fiscal responsibility and we keep that vision front and center every day as we make decisions. Every three years the hospital is required to conduct a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) to help identify local health and medical needs and we then put together a plan of how MRH will respond to such needs.
To complete the CHNA, data was gathered from multiple well-respected sources to build an accurate picture of our current community and its health needs. A survey of key community stakeholders was performed to review the hospital’s prior 2019 CHNA, give feedback and then ascertain what the current priorities are. The CHNA process is very thorough and culminates in a blueprint report and implementation plan intended to address our area’s most significant needs over the next three years. The 2022 significant health needs identified for Montrose County are: access to mental and behavioral health care services and providers, access to primary and specialty care services and providers, access to affordable care, continued focus on the aging population including services and prevention, education and services to address high mortality rates, chronic diseases, preventable conditions and unhealthy lifestyles. Hospital leadership is developing implementation strategies for these needs including activities to continue/pursue, community partners to work alongside, and measures to track progress.
In the 2016 and 2019 CHNA, mental health and suicide were identified as significant needs. MRH continues to work closely with Axis Health System, (previously The Center for Mental Health), River Valley Family Health Centers, Health and Human Services and Tri-County Health Network to address these needs. A behavioral health collaborative was developed with representatives from Delta, Gunnison and Montrose with the goal of improving access to behavioral healthcare and systems integration throughout the region as well as improving and enhancing emergency psychiatric services. This team has been instrumental in assisting with the development of the Axis Health Crisis Stabilization Unit, improving transportation for those with mental health needs, and assisting to enhance mental health providers in primary care provider offices. This group meets regularly to continue to address the mental health needs of our community.
In response to accessing primary and specialty care services and providers, MRH has developed an extensive physician recruitment plan and will continue to recruit physicians based on community need. In 2022, we assisted in the recruitment of an orthopaedic surgeon, a pulmonologist, a urologist (who will start in 2023), a family practice provider with a psychiatric specialty and an OB/GYN provider. For 2023 our goals include adding a spine surgeon, a pain specialist, an orthopaedic physician with a specialty in foot and ankle and a cardiologist. We have also opened an OB/GYN clinic in Delta and continue to serve the Gunnison area with Cardiology services.
The annual blood draws and health fair held in August provides low-cost screenings to help people access affordable care. MRH also offers several payment plans and options for our patients, as well as cash payment options for several services. These plans are all listed on our website at www.MontroseHealth.com.
The fourth priority includes health education and prevention while using the expertise at MRH to provide assistance. Our team at Mountain View Therapy provides exercise classes specific to the elderly and aging population as well as specific to those with Parkinson’s disease and cancer. We are currently joining forces with Region 10, Hilltop, the Montrose Library and other community groups to participate in a community lecture series focusing on educational seminars for the aging population. Look for more information on this series soon! MRH also provides and supports a Parkinson’s support group, caregivers support group, childbirth and sibling classes, CPR and First Aid as well as offering a variety of health-related topics through various media outlets. We also look forward to seeing many of you at the no-cost flu vaccination we co-sponsor with Montrose County held in the fall.
We invite you to read the entire Community Health Needs Assessment on our website at MontroseHealth.com/CHNA. Information on how to provide feedback is included at the end of the report and on the website.
Leann Tobin, Chief Marketing & Philanthropy Officer, Montrose Regional Health