University of Pittsburgh Medical Center published action plans to address its most significant healthcare needs.
The medical center partnered with the university's school of public health to create its 2022 community health needs assessment and implementation plan using data analysis and surveys of nearly 3,000 community stakeholders.
The information from the assessment "allows us to prioritize programs and services, because through this process, we can better understand the needs of our communities and develop a roadmap to direct resources where services are most needed and where our impact would be most beneficial, said Mark Sevco, president of UPMC hospitals, in a statement from the medical center Aug. 15.
The most significant needs of university's hospital locations across Pennsylvania, New York, and western Maryland are:
1. Behavioral health
2. Chronic disease management
3. Access to care and navigating resources
4. Chronic disease prevention and communitywide healthy living
The medical center said it plans to expand integrated care models, open addiction treatment centers, make mental healthcare more accessible to the community and reduce the stigma associated with mental health treatment.
"Ultimately, our goal is simply to improve the community’s health," said Mr. Sevco.