Approved by the Board of Trustees on December 14, 2023 1000 North Village Avenue
Mission Statement
We, at Catholic Health, humbly join together to bring Christ’s healing mission and the mission of mercy of the Catholic Church expressed in Catholic health care to our communities.
Mercy Hospital Service Area
Founded by the Nursing Sisters of The Congregation of Infant Jesus, Mercy Hospital is a 275-bed community hospital and has served the residents of Nassau County and nearby communities since 1913. Mercy Hospital is located in Rockville Centre, New York. Mercy Hospital’s primary service area is Nassau County, but the hospital also serves patients from eastern Queens and western Suffolk. This includes: Rockville Centre, Franklin Square, Valley Stream, Elmont, Long Beach, Island Park, Oceanside, Malverne, Lynbrook, East Rockaway, Uniondale, Roosevelt, Baldwin, East Meadow, Hempstead, Hewlett, Lakeview, Freeport, and Merrick.
Demographics
Nassau County’s total population as of 2020 is 1,395,774 (47.3% male; 49.8% female). Those ages 15-44 represent 35.1% of females; 37.5% of males; ages 60 plus represent 22.6% of males and 26.6% of females; 18 plus represent 77.3% of male and 79.5% of females. The region is predominately White at 58.5% with 10.9% Black/African American (a decrease from 11.5% last report) and 11.7% Asian (up from 9.1%). Hispanic or Latino represent 18.3% of the population1, a two percent increase from the last report.
Geographic description
Nassau County is situated east of New York City and spans 453 miles. It is one of two counties that comprise Long Island, the eastern-most part of New York State. Nassau County is comprised of two cities: Long Beach and Glen Cove and three townships: Hempstead, North Hempstead, and Oyster Bay. Long Island is bounded on the north by Long Island Sound and on the east and south by the Atlantic Ocean. The west of the county is joined to Queens County and Kings County (or Brooklyn). These are two of the five boroughs of New York City. In addition to Nassau County, Catholic Health (CH) serves patients in eastern Queens and parts of western Suffolk County.
Socioeconomic information
In terms of income, 31% of the population earn less than $74, 999 (up from 26.5% in the last report) with 13.5% of that group earning less than $34,999 annually. Of the population, 6.2% of those under 18 years of age live in poverty, while 5.1% of those ages 18 to 64 live in poverty and for those ages 18 to 34 years of age, 6.4% live in poverty.2 The percentage of the population (5 years and over) that speaks a language other than English at home is 28.8%, with Spanish the dominant other language spoken (12.8%) followed by other Indo/European languages (9.9%) and Asian languages (4.9%). In terms of education, for those age 25 and over, 91.6% are high school graduates or higher, 46.7% hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. The percent of the total population uninsured is 4.1%. Of that percent, non-citizens represent 36.3%, Hispanic Latino (43%) and Black/African American (13.6%), Asian (12.8%) and White (43.2%). Of the uninsured, 40.4% earn less than $74,999 household income and 10.1% earn under $25,000 household income. Approximately 8.5% of the total non- institutionalized population is disabled. By race/ethnicity, 11.4% of the Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander population is disabled, 10.8% of the American
1U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census
2U.S. Census Bureau, 2016-2020 American Community Survey, Five-Year Estimate
Indian/Alaska Native population is disabled, 9.7% of the White population is disabled, 5.4% of the Hispanic Latino population is disabled and 7.1% of the Black/African American population is disabled. Native American/Pacific Islanders account for less than one percent of the county’s population.3
Income one social determinant of health precludes individuals from low-income communities from accessing preventive and/or medical care due to their difficulty to afford co-payments/deductibles (if insured) or care at all if they are uninsured. The inability to afford co-pays and deductibles consistently rises to the top as a barrier to health care on the LIHC’s Community Health Assessment Survey year after year. The median household income in the past 12 months by race is $124,300 (White), $105,331 (Black), $95,890 (Hispanic/Latino). Mean income for the past 12 months per capita by race is $60,972, $38,622 and $31,976, respectively.4 This is why income is such a driving factor for health disparity and why the region has selected to focus on interventions and strategies that level the playing field for communities that are pockets of poverty in a rather affluent region.
Key Health Partners
Partnering with community-based organizations is the most effective way to determine how the health priorities will be addressed. As part of our collective impact strategies to promote health and well-being for residents in our communities, Mercy Hospital has strong relationships with local and regional community-based organizations, libraries, schools, faith-based organizations, the local health department, local fire departments and municipalities that support and partner with us to reduce chronic disease, mental health and substance misuse, and to promote health equity. Some of Mercy’s partners include: the Long Island Health Collaborative (LIHC), Nassau County Department of Human Services, Catholic Charities and Catholic Faith Network (CFN).
Public Participation
Mercy Hospital, along with CH’s other five hospitals, worked with the Long Island Health Collaborative (LIHC) and the Nassau County Department of Health (NCDOH), and dozens of community-based organizations, libraries, schools and universities, local municipalities, and other community stakeholders to produce this CHNA. NCDOH representatives offered input and consultation, when appropriate, regarding the data analyses conducted by the LIHC and DataGen. Top, high-level findings include a continued prevalence of chronic disease incidence, particularly heart disease and diabetes, obesity, and cancer. Further, surging rates of mental health and substance misuse issues among all demographic categories was found with disparity seen among youth, and low-income communities of color continuing to experience a higher burden of disease overall. In 2022, members of the LIHC reviewed extensive data sets selected from both primary and secondary data sources to identify and confirm New York State Prevention Agenda priorities for the 2022-2024 Community Health Needs Assessment cycle. Data analysis efforts were coordinated through the LIHC, which served as the centralized data return and analysis hub.
3U.S. Census Bureau, 2016-2020 American Community Survey, Five-year Estimates
4U.S. Census Bureau, 2016 – 2020 American Community Survey Five-Year Estimates
Results of Community-Wide Survey
Primary data was obtained from a community health needs assessment sent to individuals and a similar survey to community-based organization leaders5. Additionally, we looked at results from two qualitative studies to round out our primary data.6 Secondary data was derived from publicly-available data sets curated by DataGen into its proprietary data analytics platform, CHNA Advantage ™, offering 200 plus metrics to determine health issues within Suffolk County.7 As such, priorities selected for the 2022- 2024 cycle remain unchanged from the 2019 – 2021 cycle selection, and the selected health disparities in which partners are focusing their efforts rests on the inequities experienced by those in historically underserved communities and communities of color.
Community Health Priorities for 2023-2025
Primary and secondary data demonstrate that residents living in Suffolk County are experiencing poor mental health status. The 2021 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation County Health Rankings examining Suffolk County in Quality-of-Life Health Outcomes demonstrates an average of 4.0 poor mental health days per 30 days in Suffolk County.8 Mental health issues have soared in the past two years, spurred in part, by the effects of the pandemic. Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s COVID-19 Household Pulse Survey (April 23, 2020 – October 26, 2020), a New York State Health Foundation analysis found that more than one-third of adult New Yorkers reported symptoms of anxiety and/or depression, with racial and ethnic groups of color as well as low-income New Yorkers, reporting the highest rates of poor mental health. However, the 18 – 34- year-old age group reported the highest rates (49%) of poor mental health.9 High school students (grades 9 through 12) fared just as badly. A number of studies found poor mental health along with suicide ideation intensified during the pandemic for high schoolers. An April 2022 analysis of data from the 2021 Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey revealed that 37.1% of students experienced poor mental health during the pandemic, and 31.1% experienced poor mental health during the preceding 30 days.10
5Community Health Assessment Survey (CHAS) assessing responses from individuals, summary report and survey instrument (Appendix A) CBO Survey Analysis 2022, assessing responses from communitybased organization leader, summary report and survey instrument (Appendix B)
6Qualitative Analysis of Key Informant Interviews Conducted Among Community-Based Organization Leaders (Appendix C) Long Island Libraries: Caretakers of the Region’s Social Support and Health Needs: Qualitative Analysis (Appendix D)
7Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS), New York State Prevention Agenda dashboard, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), Extended Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (eBRFSS), New York State Community Health Indicators by Race/Ethnicity Reports, Community Health Indicator Reports, Prevention Quality Indicators, CDC Places, and U.S. Census Bureau. The CHNA Advantage™ data analytics platform includes these and other state and national level indicators. It also encompasses social risk measures offered by Socially Determined, Inc.
8https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/newyork/2021/compare/snapshot?counties=36_059%2B36_103
9https://nyhealthfoundation.org/resource/mental-health-impact-of-the-coronavirus-pandemic-in-new-yorkstate/#:~:text=The%20proportion%20of%20New%20Yorkers,health%20throughout%20the%20survey%20p eriod
10https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/su/su7103a3.htm? s_cid=su7103a3_w
The pandemic made a bad situation worse, especially for youth, as mental health issues and suicides were
already increasing prior to the COVID-19 pandemic11 12 13 14. With the shortage of mental health care workers and the lingering psychological effects of the pandemic, mental health services remain a top priority for the region. The county also saw an uptick in opioid-related overdoses and deaths after having made some gains prior to the pandemic. New York State Department of Health statistics report that for 2020 in Nassau County there were 223 deaths from any opioid, 77 heroin overdose deaths, and 214 deaths involving opioid pain relievers (including illicitly produced opioids such as fentanyl).15 For 2019, the numbers were 173, 47, and 163, respectively via categories listed above.16
Another health disparity identified in primary and secondary research is adult obesity. Nassau County continues to experience high rates of obesity and overweight adults. Twenty three percent of the population (age 20 and older) reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m.17 According to the New York State Department of Health, obesity is a significant risk factor for many chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, stroke, heart disease and certain types of cancer.
The prevalence of chronic diseases is persistent in the county. Nationally, communities of color experience higher rates of chronic disease. Using diabetes as an example, the American Indian/Alaska Native population represents 14.5 percent of adults 18 or older who are diagnosed with diabetes followed by Black, non-Hispanic at 12.1% and Hispanic overall at 11.8% in the United States. Asians and Whites experience the disease at 9.5% and 7.4% respectively.18 Health providers report that many individuals delayed preventive care and routine screenings due to the pandemic, leading to more complicated cases and unfavorable outcomes. Chronic diseases are preventable conditions sensitive to lifestyle (diet/physical activity) habits but hampered by the obstacles presented by social determinant of health factorsincome/employment, race/ethnicity, food access, housing/neighborhood location, and level of education. The county and hospitals identified in this report through collaborative efforts and facility-specific programming acknowledge and address these determinants regularly.
11https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/66/wr/mm6630a6.htm
12https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/mental-health.htm
13Weinberger, A. et al. (August 2017) Trends in depression prevalence in the USA from 2005 – 2015: widening disparities in vulnerable groups. Psychological Medicine, 1-10 14Bitsko, R et al. (2018) Epidemiology and impact of healthcare provider-diagnosed anxiety and depression among US children. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 1-9.
15https://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/opioid/data/pdf/nys_apr22.pdf
16https://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/opioid/data/pdf/nys_jan21.pdf
17https://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/prevention/injury_prevention/information_for_action/docs/202102_ifa_report.pdf
18https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/health-equity/diabetes-by-the-numbers.html
Mercy Hospital Interventions, Strategies and Activities
Priority Number One: Prevent Chronic Disease
Goals and selected interventions concentrate on Focus Area 4: Chronic Disease Preventive Care and Management, with additional programming addressing other focus areas.
Interventions, Strategies and Activities:
1. Live Better Awareness Campaign: Promote healthy eating and food security to increase skills and knowledge to supply healthy food and beverage choices. The goal is to decrease the percent of adults over 18 with obesity in low-income communities of color.
Process measures:
On 1/24/23, our mobile outreach bus screened 52 people and 98 blood pressures were taken.
On 6/1/23, we kicked off our Let’s Walk campaign with 25 blood pressure screenings. Weekly walking started in June and will run through September with an average of 15 people walking each week. Weekly education is provided as well on topics such as blood pressure, proper footwear, diabetes education and stretching techniques.
On 5/23, we planted Our Garden of Caring Vegetable Garden where vegetables are grown at Merc y Hospital and distributed to four local food pantries weekly. Community and staff volunteer to tend the garden.
2. Bariatric educational seminars, offered to pre- and post-bariatric surgery patients.
Process measures:
Through September, 5,211 patients have attended pre-op support groups, weight-loss support groups, nutrition post-op groups and bariatric educational seminars.
3. Free blood pressure screenings are provided at local public libraries, community lectures and mall health fair events with clinical support.
Process measures:
Fifty-nine people attended the 1/24/23 screening for blood pressure. On 4/23/23, we held a Healthy Sunday at St. Martha’s in Hempstead with 36 blood pressures. On 4/27/23, at our spring Wellness Fair in Malvern 28 blood pressures were taken and on 5/4/23 Cinco de Mayo Stroke Awareness, we did 52 blood pressures and offered diabetes education and stretching. At our Let’s Walk event on 6/2/23, we did 25 blood pressures. 6/1/23 we kicked off let’s walk at Mercy Hospital for employees and community with 22 blood pressures taken with heart healthy tips from our stroke coordinator. On 9/19/23 we worked with KUTZ for kids in Freeport hosting a back to school event. More than 200 blood pressures were taken.
The following free lectures were held: 2/9/23- Jewish Community Center Sleeping Disorders and Brain Health; 3/28/23 Women’s Health Month- yearly screenings; 4/27/23 hyperbaric wound care education; 5/8/23 The Dangers Lurking in Your Medicine Cabinet, 5/10/23 Hispanic Brotherhood - Heart Health and Breast Screening. On 10/19/23, a Lunch and Learn on diabetes was given to 25 people.
4. BMI screenings
Process measures:
At our Family Care Center, 902 underserved patients had their BMI checked from January to June 2023.
5. Cancer education workshops, symposium, and events, to provide access and evaluate change in knowledge and awareness of need for cancer screening
Process measures:
On 3/21/23, we held choosing the Right Tumor Markers for professional Mercy staff with 25 in attendance.
On 3/28/23, at Kennedy Park Women’s Health Month presentation on healthy living and colon cancer awareness 92 attended.
On 5/10/23, the Hispanic Brotherhood Breast Health and Screening had 84 in attendance.
On 5/16/23, Identifying High Risk for Breast Cancer was offered to professional Mercy staff with 15 in attendance.
9/12/23 Prostate screening in New Hyde Park - 24 screened
9/14/23 PINKtember at Mercy breast health awareness - 400 attended
9/14/23 Breast Cancer screening at Mercy through PINKaid- 3 screened at the event
9/19/23 Prostate screening at Mercy Hospital 9 screened
10/18/23 Breast Cancer Summit in Roslyn education and awareness – 500 attended
10/24/23 AARP Meeting at Kennedy Park in Hempstead - Breast Health screening, education and awareness with the Breast Health department - 105 people attended
6. Healthy Sundays: BP and BMI screenings, flu vaccinations, health education and referrals to follow up care.
Process measures:
6/25/23 Our Lady of Loretto – 34 people were screened
10/1/23 Queen of the Most Holy Rosary – 15 flu shots distributed
12/3/23 St. Martha’s – 28 flu shots distributed
12/10/23 Our Lady of Good Counsel
7. Chronic Disease Self-Management Program and free lectures, presentations and/or workshops
Process measures:
The diabetes support group met 7 times from January-November. Fifteen attendees participated in the support group and have taken a course or class to learn how to manage their condition.
10/19/23 – Mineola Library - Lunch and Learn Diabetes Awareness with a diabetes educator – 28 people attended.
8. Free/low-cost mammography for low-income women
Process measures:
Pink Aid and Mercy offer free mammograms, sonograms, and molecular breast imaging - secondary screening for women with dense breasts to underserved patients who have no insurance. Eight women were screened using the PINKaid grant from January to September and four women were treated.
9. MEDIA MESSAGING for Health Education. Use media such as videos, social, printed materials (letters, brochures, newsletters) and health communications to build public awareness and demand.
Process measures:
Mercy participates in the Long Island Health Collaborative Awareness Campaign (Live Better), which shares information about chronic disease via social media and traditional media platforms (this campaign captures any mentions about chronic diseases and relevant programs/education efforts). The Awareness Campaign also
focuses on mental health prevention and treatment programs/education, as well as relevant treatment and prevention programming relative to substance misuse via social media and traditional media platforms.
Walk Safe with a Doc are community walking events that combine pedestrian safety education with chronic disease education all while walking. The LIHC maintains an active walk with a Doc chapter for the region.
Talk with a Doc are Zoom -delivered educational programs led by physicians from the region’s hospitals covering a variety of chronic diseases.
Process measures:
• 6/1/23 Let’s Walk began where physicians are encouraged to walk and discuss topics with staff and community. There are an average of 15 walkers each week. This ran through September 30, 2023.
• In collaboration with the LIHC, for Walk with a Doc, there have been 42 walkers and for Talk with a Doc there has been a total of 185 attendees.
• On 4/12/23 Stress and Your Health – Zoom lecture given by Dr. Ferber to AARP members; 15 attendees.
10. Free stretching classes for the community
Process measures:
On 5/4/23, Mercy offered the Cinco de Mayo Heart Health and Stroke Awareness Fair and 25 people attended a free stretching event.
On 6/1/23, Let’s Walk started with a stretch program, 15 people were in attendance.
Priority Number Two: Promote Well Being and Prevent Mental and Substance Use Disorders
Goals and selected interventions concentrate on Focus Area 2: Mental and Substance Use Disorders Prevention, with additional programming addressing other focus areas.
Interventions, Strategies and Activities:
1. Continue to distribute Catholic Health’s (CH) Mental Health Substance Use Disorder Services Guide to CH community partners at all outreach events, including hospital health fairs and Healthy Sunday’s events. The guide is available as a download from the CH website.
Process measures:
Mental health and substance use guides were distributed at the following events:
2/3/23, Mercy held a Wear Red Day, offering information to patients, visitors and staff
4/27/23, Spring wellness fair in Malverne
3/28/23, Kennedy Park AARP meeting
5/4/23, Cinco De Mayo Heart health fair at Mercy Hospital
5/8/23, JCC Oceanside senior group
5/12/23, Closing the GAP – Seminar on underserved neonatal patients at the Morley Center in Bethpage
9/14/23 PINKtember at Mercy Hospital
9/19/23 Kutz for kids- Back-to-school event in Freeport
9/26/23 The Academy Charter School back -to-school event in Hempstead
10/18/23 Breast Cancer Summit in Roslyn
10/24/23- AARP meeting in Hempstead Kennedy Park
2. Substance Abuse/Opioid Symposium: multidisciplinary program on substance abuse for the purpose of preventing drug addiction, early intervention and education on warning signs.
Process measures:
Twelve people attended the AA group implemented in July 2023. They meet weekly through the year. A family support group meets weekly that averages 8-10 participants per week.
3. Offer art therapy at the Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinic
Process measures:
An average of 20 people per week participate in the art therapy program.
4. Drug Take Back Day.
Process measures:
5. Drug Take Back Day is scheduled for 2024
6. Sherpa Program, a free service provided by Family & Children’s Association. Sherpa comprises recovery coaches trained to meet with overdose survivors and their families in the Emergency Department. The team directs people to treatment, offers encouragement and follow-up.
Process measures:
109 individuals at-risk of an overdose received services through the SHERPA program from January to November.
7. Offer an education conference for health care professionals.
Process measures:
This year the Behavioral Health Department educated St. Charles and Good Samaritan professionals on substance abuse and mental health. This occurs monthly with an average of 15 to 20 participants each month.
8. Promotion of all programs, events, education offered by Long Island Health Collaborative (LIHC) members who speak to the prevention of mental and substance use disorders. Posts in LIHC weekly communications newsletter, social media postings, cross promotion of member events, programs on all media platforms. Promotion on Catholic Faith Network (CFN) and CH social media, website, and community-targeted publications.
Process measures:
Mercy Hospital works with the Long Island Health Collaborative (LIHC) to disseminate information about the importance of proper nutrition and physical activity among the general public to assist Nassau residents in better managing their chronic diseases and/or preventing the onset of chronic diseases. Mercy Hospital also collaborates with the LIHC to disseminate information about mental health prevention and treatment services and programming, as well as relevant information about substance misuse. Dissemination of information is achieved through the bi-weekly Collaborative Communications e-newsletter, which is sent to 588 communitybased organization leaders, and strategic use of social media platforms. These efforts are ongoing.
Priority Number Three: Promote a Healthy and Safe Environment
Interventions, Strategies and Activities:
1. Connect older adults and people with disabilities with evidence based falls prevention programs such as, Stepping On or A Matter of Balance.
Process measures:
Our fall prevention class is offered monthly with an average of 20 attendees each month.
Priority Number Four: Promote Healthy Women, Infants and Children
Interventions, Strategies and Activities:
1. Provide access to professional breastfeeding support at the hospital to reduce barriers to breastfeeding, especially for low-income families.
Process measures:
Thirty percent of women delivering at Mercy are exclusively breastfeeding their babies since birth. Sixty percent are breastfeeding with supplementation.
A breastfeeding support group was recently implemented with weekly meetings; eight people have attended in total. This is held weekly with participants attending when needed.
2. Conduct two Best Baby Shower events for families who may not have access to care and wellness education.
Process measures:
To date, there has been one Baby Shower event, on May 13th. One hundred and twenty women participated in the event coordinated by the hospital staff and 25 community partners.
Priority Number Five: Prevent Communicable Diseases
Interventions, Strategies and Activities:
1. Offer free flu vaccinations at events in underserved communities, at Healthy Sundays outreach, hospital health fairs and other community venues.
Process measures:
9/21/23 Lawrence Club – 25 shots were given
9/17/23 and 9/23/23 St. Mark Church in Woodbury - 50 shots in total
9/28/23 Village of Westbury Community Center - 33 Shots
10/1/23 Queen of Most Holy Rosary Roosevelt - 20 shots
10/5/23 Franklin Square Library - 62 shots
10/12/23 Hispanic Month Celebration - Kennedy Park Hempstead - 10 flu shots
Living the Mission
The CH mission is the driving force behind all community outreach activities. In addition to the interventions summarized above, Mercy Hospital, along with the Catholic Health skilled nursing facilities, Catholic Health Home Care, and Good Shepherd Hospice, provide additional outreach programs that emphasize the health care ministry of the Catholic Church and social determinants of health.
Interventions, Strategies and Activities:
1. Virtual education series streaming on YouTube, that provides short videos on various topics
• The program launched with a six-part “Diabetes Education” series describing different topics related to diabetes such as, Meal Planning, Foot Care, Dining Out Tips, and more.
• A second nine-part series on Keeping Your Child Safe at Every Age was added.
• Catholic Health also offers an ongoing Health Tips series discussing topics such as Stroke vs. Aneurysm, What You Need to Know about C-Sections, and Prostate Cancer Awareness, among others.
2. Broadcast health-related television shows for the public in collaboration with Catholic Faith Network provide education and prevention lectures to improve knowledge related to specific diseases and conditions, preventive care, and up-to-date treatment options.
• There are 20 shows posted across 10 months with Catholic Health President and CEO, Dr. Patrick O’Shaughnessy, and a Catholic Health cardiologist, Dr. David D’Agate. The “Stronger Together” series with Dr. D’Agate discusses topics such as Cardiac Health, Sleep, Fertility, and Access to Care. The shows with Dr. O’Shaughnessy and Monsignor Jim Vlaun bring the latest in research and information on medical procedures and advancements.
3. Promotion of all programs, events, and education is on the CH website and all CH social media outlets, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
• This includes the promotion of all education, healthy recipes, health tips and support groups. Some of these include education on how to stay h ydrated during the summer, facts on various cancers and screening, children’s health and more.
4. Lectures in Catholic schools, local libraries, and other community organizations.
• In collaboration with the LIHC, for Walk with a Doc, there have been 6 events with a total of 42 walkers and for Talk with a Doc there have been 6 events with a total of 185 attendees.
• There was a lecture on preventive cardiac health at the Nassau County Police Department, which 35 people attended.
5. Community Outreach Screening Buses
• The buses travel across Long Island to different community-based organizations to provide free health screenings, including blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index and glucose. From January to November, the mobile buses team screened 6,172 people.
6. Healthy Sundays
• In this volunteer program, we partner with different community organizations to provide BP and BMI screenings, flu vaccinations, health education and referrals to follow up care. From January to November, the Healthy Sundays teams screened 1,462 people.
7. Toy Drive: Corporate teams collected 745 toys for the Gerald Ryan Outreach Center in Wyandanch.
Dissemination of the Plan to the Public
The Mercy Hospital Community Service Plan will be posted on the hospital’s website at https://www.chsli.org/mercy-hospital/about/community-health. Copies will be available at local free health screenings and can be mailed upon request.
By encouraging friends and neighbors to complete the LIHC Wellness Survey online or at local screenings, the Community Health Needs Assessment will help Mercy Hospital continue to develop ways to best serve our community.
Conclusion
The Community Service Plan is intended to be a dynamic document. Utilizing the hospital’s strengths and resources, Mercy Hospital, along with community partners, will work to continue to best address health disparities and needs. The hospital will strive to improve the overall health and well-being of individuals and families by expanding free health promotion and disease prevention/education screenings and programs in communities where they are most needed. Mercy Hospital is committed to continue to develop ways to best serve the community.