Creating a culture of health in the community

Wilson County is pleased to present its 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). This report provides an overview of the methods and process used to identify and prioritize significant health needs in Wilson County.

The CHNA is a collaboration of Healthcare Foundation of Wilson, Wilson County Health Department and Wilson Medical Center.

The CHNA engaged the community to define priorities for health improvement, created a collaborative community environment to engage stakeholders, and provided open and transparent process to listen and truly understand the health needs of Wilson County, North Carolina.

• The community health needs assessment provided the opportunity to:
• Assess the population’s health status
• Highlight areas of unmet needs
• Present the community’s perspectives
• Provide suggestions for possible interventions
• Highlight recommendations that policymakers might consider when setting new policy goals and objectives for health improvement.

Service Area
The service area for this report is defined as the geographical boundary of Wilson County, North Carolina. Wilson County is located inland from the coastal area of the state and covers an area of 374 square miles, of which only a small portion is water. The county includes the City of Wilson, six municipalities and ten townships.
Methods for Identifying Community Health Needs

Primary Data
The primary data used in this assessment consisted of (1) a community survey distributed through online and paper submissions, two (2) focus group discussions, and a community health summit. Over 900 Wilson County residents contributed their input on the community’s health and health-related needs, barriers, and opportunities, with special focus on the needs of vulnerable and underserved populations. See Appendix C for all primary data collection tools used in this assessment.

Secondary Data
This report includes secondary data from national, state and local databases. The primary service area of the local hospital was used to determine statistical data included. The report outlines major findings and details.

The top three health priorities identified which will be addressed over the next three years are:

1. Mental/behavioral health
2. Healthy eating/active living
3. Substance misuse

Community-wide Action Plans will be developed to address these health priorities and may be found on the websites of Healthcare Foundation of Wilson, Wilson County Health Department and Wilson Medical Center.