For Immediate Release

Contact:

Laura Blodgett

734-712-4536

Laura.Blodgett@stjoeshealth.org

October 29, 2018

Community health needs assessment identifies priority health needs

PONTIAC, Mich. (Oct. 29, 2018) – Through a year-long health needs assessment at three of its five ministries, Saint Joseph Mercy Health System (SJMHS) has determined the greatest health needs of the communities served by its hospitals.

The Community Health Needs Assessment is a requirement of all tax-exempt hospitals established as part of the Affordable Care Act and overseen by the Internal Revenue Service that must be conducted every three years by non-profit hospitals.

"As a health system, we took this opportunity to develop a data-driven approach to truly understand the health needs of our community," said Dave Spivey, president and CEO of St. Mary Mercy Livonia and vice president of Community Health & Well-being, Michigan. "Not only does this requirement demonstrate our value but it helps us live out our mission to be a compassionate, transforming, healing presence in our community."

For St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, the assessment included an in-depth review of national, state and local data; key stakeholder interviews and community focus groups. Obesity, diabetes, behavioral health including substance abuse, heart disease and access to maternal health resources were identified due to the size and severity of the issues and the health system's ability to make a meaningful impact.

Local members of the community identified obesity, cardiovascular disease, and navigation of social support and health care resources as priority concerns. While the percent of overweight or obese adults in Oakland County is on par with the state, the obesity percentage within the county shows a continued increase over time.

In addition, behavioral health and adverse childhood experiences were prevalent issues discussed in stakeholder interviews and focus groups. Drug overdose rates in Oakland County are above state averages. Alcohol consumption and binge drinking among adults is consistently higher in Oakland County when compared to the state. And finally, Pontiac is a medically underserved community, which highlights the need residents have for help in navigating health care and social support resources.

As a regional system across metro Detroit that is part of Trinity Health, a leading national Catholic Health system, SJMHS has a

tremendous opportunity to address problems before they turn into negative health outcomes.

Strategies to address these needs in Oakland County include:

• Support schools with education and prevention strategies around behavioral health, nutrition and physical activity.
• Improve community access to nutritious foods.
• Address access to care barriers such as awareness of insurance benefits and navigation of available community resources. Improve behavioral health in the community by improving access to behavioral health services and reducing the use of alcohol and controlled substances.

St. Joseph Mercy Oakland is currently developing an implementation plan to address these health issues, working closely with community partners to improve the coordination and support for existing community resources that address these needs.

"By completing a needs assessment within our local community, we have a better understanding of the population we serve and the kinds of wellness, preventive, and medical services needed in the months and years to come," said Shannon Striebich, president of St. Joseph Mercy Oakland. “With this knowledge, we will continue to build on an already strong network of community coalitions to establish transformative and sustainable health and wellness within Oakland County."

Last year, Trinity Health’s Michigan based health system, which includes SJMHS and Mercy Health, returned $193 million to the community through community benefit programs and charity care.

To learn more, the most recent Community Health Needs Assessment Reports from all five SJMHS hospitals can be downloaded at www.stjoeshealth.org/cbm.

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About St. Joseph Mercy Oakland

St. Joseph Mercy Oakland is a 443-bed community teaching hospital and a long-time leader in health care in Oakland County. Founded in 1927 by the Sisters of Mercy, St. Joseph Mercy Oakland has won numerous local and national awards for patient safety, quality and performance, and consistently ranks in the top 10 percent of hospitals nationwide. A member of the Saint Joseph Mercy

Health System, St. Joseph Mercy Oakland is a technologically leading hospital that combines advanced medicine and personal care

to assist patients on their path to wellness. With dedicated physicians, nurses and hospital staff committed to providing quality care throughout the patient stay, St. Joseph Mercy Oakland has truly personalized the patient care experience.

For more information about health services offered at St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, please visit stjoesoakland.org.

About Saint Joseph Mercy Health System

Saint Joseph Mercy Health System (SJMHS) is a health care organization serving seven counties in southeast Michigan including Livingston, Washtenaw, Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Jackson, and Lenawee. It includes 537-bed St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor, 443bed St. Joseph Mercy Oakland in Pontiac, 304-bed St. Mary Mercy Livonia, 136-bed St. Joseph Mercy Livingston in Howell, and 133-bed St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea. Combined, the five hospitals are licensed for 1,553 beds, have five outpatient health centers, six urgent care facilities, more than 25 specialty centers; employ more than 15,300 individuals and have a medical staff of nearly 2,700 physicians. SJMHS has annual operating revenues of about $2 billion and returns about $115 million to its communities annually through charity care and community benefit programs.

SJMHS is a member of Trinity Health, a leading Catholic health care system based in Livonia, Mich. Trinity Health operates in 22 states, employs about 133,000 colleagues, has annual operating revenues of $17.6 billion and assets of about $24.7 billion. Additionally, the organization returns almost $1.1 billion to its communities annually in the form of charity care and other community benefit programs.

For more information on health services offered at Saint Joseph Mercy Health System, please visitwww.stjoeshealth.org .