Bemidji Community Health Center Planning Initiative Seeks Input on health care needs

Bemidji, MN:  The Bemidji Community Health Center Planning Initiative is surveying Beltrami County community members regarding their health care needs. The survey will ask participants to share information about the barriers they face when seeking medical, behavioral/mental and dental health care, as well as what features or services are most important to them in seeking health care.  

Anyone interested in completing the health care needs survey is asked to stop by the Bemidji Public Library community room, 509 America Avenue, on Wednesday, March 7 between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. or Friday, March 9 between 3:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.  The survey will take less than 15 minutes to complete.  Personal contact information will not be collected and all individual responses will remain anonymous and confidential.  Only aggregated responses will be shared in the needs assessment and used for planning purposes by the Community Health Center Planning Initiative team.  Snacks will be available to participants.

The Community Health Center Planning Initiative aims to increase access to medical, dental, and behavioral health care services for the uninsured, underinsured and vulnerable populations in Beltrami County who are not currently accessing or being served by the existing health care infrastructure.

The health care providers and community leaders partnering on the Community Health Center planning and design are committed to creating a comprehensive, community-based delivery model that follows best practices and responds directly to the needs identified in the Community Health Needs Assessment.  The project will embrace the following core elements of high-quality, comprehensive health care to reduce inequities and improve health outcomes:  linguistically and culturally appropriate care that is patient-centered, includes care coordination, eliminates/addresses disparities and barriers, aligns with Healthy People 2020, and utilizes Ruby Payne's Framework for Understanding Poverty and Bridges Out of Poverty.

For more information about the Community Health Center Initiative visit www.bemidjichc.com.