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Access, Affordability ID’d as Key Ways to Improve Healthcare Services

2016 Flathead County Community Health Improvement Program survey highlights residents' priorities and needs in healthcare

By Molly Priddy
A nursing assistant at Kalispell Regional Medical Center. Beacon File Photo

The team behind the latest survey assessing the healthcare needs of Flathead County have released preliminary results of their findings, with strong indications that access to care and the cost of care are still roadblocks for many residents.

The needs assessment is part of the Flathead County Community Health Program, a partnership among the Flathead City-County Health Department, North Valley Hospital in Whitefish, and Kalispell Regional Healthcare. Its purpose is to identify strategies to address the community’s most significant healthcare needs, in accordance with the public.

So far, the preliminary results show that most of the survey respondents thought the county could improve the community’s access to healthcare with more primary care providers, expanded hours at outpatient services, and more health education services.

Hillary Hanson, deputy health officer for Flathead County, said the needs identified in the assessment were largely unchanged from the survey conducted three years ago, but more respondents are now citing transportation to and from health services as a major factor.

“I don’t think we directly dealt with transportation in the last one and that came up this time,” Hanson said. “I think we may look at transportation slightly differently.”

That means looking at other modes of transportation, she said, such as walking and biking accessibility. Not only are those aspects important to a community’s economic base – “There’s a huge economic benefit,” she said – but it can also open up access in general.

Hanson said there’s no need to make the conversation about turning everyone into a marathon runner or cyclist, but rather having discussions about accessibility.

“We’re literally talking about your grandmother being able to walk to the grocery store to get groceries,” she said.

Concerns about a lack of mental healthcare continue to creep up the list of importance, with mental health issues ranking fourth on respondent’s lists of health concerns. The first is alcohol and substance abuse, followed by obesity, then cancer.

Hanson said there are issues with access to care, but also with the stigma around mental illness. The discussion around mental health needs restructuring to be more inclusive, she said.

Cost continues to be a factor in people’s healthcare decision. Of the 161 residents surveyed, 58, or 36 percent, said either they or a member of their household thought they needed healthcare services, but didn’t get it or delayed in getting it.

The top three reasons given for such delays are prohibitive cost, not having insurance, and insurance not covering the visit.

More than 65 percent of the respondents reported receiving routine health checkups, and of the desired healthcare services they want to see in the Flathead, Ask a Nurse services, which allows people to call in with health questions, received the most attention, with nearly 44 percent.

But even knowing all the services already available to residents is a challenge.

“A lot of what keeps coming out is underutilization of services. We have [services and programs] out there, and people aren’t connecting to them,” Hanson said. “Even amongst ourselves as providers in the community I don’t know that we always have the full picture. There’s a real need for community collaboration.”

The final survey results will be available once all of the public meetings on the results have been held. The group behind the survey will meet on Jan. 29 to look at the responses from the community before finalizing the plan.