Lehigh Valley CHNA 2016

Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) data collection and analysis process for Lehigh and Northampton counties was performed by Health Care Council of the Lehigh Valley.

Health Care Council of the Lehigh Valley is a collaborative organization that includes Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN), Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network, KidsPeace, St. Luke's University Health Network, Sacred Heart Healthcare System (now part of St. Luke's), Allentown Health Bureau, Bethlehem Health Bureau and Neighborhood Health Centers of the Lehigh Valley. The Health Care Council's work was supported by funding from the Dorothy Rider Pool Health Care Trust and facilitated by 35th Street Consulting.

Lehigh Valley CHNA 2016: Improvements from 2013 to 2016

Compared with the 2012 CHNA report, residents of the Lehigh Valley are living longer with better medical management of their chronic conditions.

Mortality rates are lower for:

  • Cancer
  • Heart disease,
  • Lung disease
  • Stroke
  • Diabetes

Areas to improve:

  • Quality of life
  • Improve social associations
  • Address challenges related to housing, violence, parental supervision, mental health, and alcohol and drug addiction

 

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Note: Opioid epidemic

The 2016 CHNA report does not capture the drug epidemic now facing the Lehigh Valley, Hazleton, and other regions of the United States. Many of the data sources feeding the current CHNA predate the upswing of this problem. LVHN is working with its clinical leaders to promote safe prescribing of certain pain relievers (opioid analgesics), and to provide compassionate care and timely referrals to patients struggling with addiction. LVHN also is cooperating with local public health leaders and community stakeholders to develop targeted educational sessions focused on practical skill building for students, adults and families dealing with relatives who are addicted.