Reports

Springfield Hospital CHNA 2025

SPRINGFIELD HOSPITAL 2025 COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

Springfield Hospital, in conjunction with North Star Health, conducted a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) in 2025. This Implementation Plan is a companion piece to the needs assessment report, serving the period from 2025-2028. This Implementation Plan outlines a course of action for how Springfield Hospital plans to address the top community health priorities. Both the Community Health Needs Assessment and the Implementation Plan can be found at https://springfieldhospital.org/community-health-needs-assessments/

There were six key community health issues identified in the report (See pages 3 to 6 of the CHNA). Springfield Hospital will collaborate with our care partners to implement initiatives and programs that work to meet these objectives to improve health in the community.

1) AVAILABILITY OF PRIMARY CARE AND SPECIALTY MEDICAL SERVICES

• Goal: Ensure timely outpatient follow-up for hospital patients through partnerships.
• Actions:
• Discuss with our primary care providers if it is feasible to reserve expedited post-discharge appointment slots for our emergency room in-patient, and specialty care patients.
• Research the feasibility of a “follow up clinic” to bridge the gap i.e. waiting time, between discharged hospital patients and primary care partners for follow-up visits.
• Strengthen referral tracking: centralized care coordination team follows referrals until visit is completed.
• Research solutions to EMS transport challenges.
• Partners: North Star Health, other primary care providers, specialty groups, and transport groups.

2) COST OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES, INCLUDING PRESCRIPTIONS, COPAYS, AND INSURANCE

• Goal: Reduce financial barriers for patients discharged from the emergency department (ED) and inpatient unit (IPCU) to allow for more access to follow-up care and medications.
• Actions:
• Review Financial Assistance Policy for readability, updated as approved by the Board of Directors.
• Promote availability of Springfield Hospital Financial Assistance program.
• Embed financial/benefits navigators in ED and discharge planning to assist with Medicaid/marketplace enrollment and manufacturer assistance.
• Research options for providing a hospital-administered short-term medication co-pay/bridge fund and 7–14-day discharge medication supply for high-need patients.
• Develop protocols and pathways to community clinics and other resources that accept sliding scale/charity care.
• Collaborate on public relations efforts with other organizations to raise awareness about free vaccines, insulin cap costs, and other community support services.
• Partners: North Star Health, patient advocacy nonprofits.

3) SUBSTANCE MISUSE AND THE AVAILABILITY OF SERVICES FOR PREVENTION, TREATMENT, AND RECOVERY

• Goal: Increase initiation of evidence-based opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and connection to recovery services from the hospital.
• Actions:
• Work with local agencies to help overcome gaps in services – detox, residential treatment, and recovery housing.
• Employ peer recovery coaches in ED/inpatient units to support engagement and navigation to treatment/housing/employment resources.
• When appropriate, distribute naloxone kits at discharge and provide brief training; partner with community harm-reduction organizations for syringe services/mobile harm reduction expansion.
• Explore opportunities for medication assisted programs in the ED.
• Develop protocols and pathways to community clinics and other resources.
• Support the development of a multi-disciplinary team to develop protocol for diversion to treatment.

• Partners: addiction treatment providers, pharmacies, public health, North Star Health.

4) AVAILABILITY OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

• Goal: Improve timely access to behavioral health for hospital patients and community.
• Actions:
• Explore the addition of outpatient mental health treatment to Springfield Hospital range of services.
• Integrate behavioral health clinicians and peer recovery specialists into ED and inpatient teams for screening, brief intervention, and warm handoffs.
• Enable ED-initiated tele-psychiatry consults and scheduled outpatient behavioral health follow-ups via partner clinics or telehealth.
• Connect with community mental health providers to discuss the feasibility of reserving rapid access slots for hospital referrals.
• Support the development of a multi-disciplinary team to develop protocol for diversion to treatment.
• Explore opportunities for CMS waiver regarding limitations on distinct part units for critical access hospitals.

• Partners: community behavioral health agencies, tele-psychiatry vendors, county mental health authority, peer-run organizations, EMS, law enforcement.

5) AFFORDABILITY AND AVAILABILITY OF DENTAL CARE SERVICES

• Goal: Connect hospital patients with dental care through partnerships.
• Actions:
• Review and update memorandum of understanding (MOU) with community dental clinics, dental schools, and mobile dental units to accept prioritized hospital referrals (urgent dental needs) and provide sliding-scale care.
• Create a dental referral pathway embedded in discharge planning for ED patients presenting with dental complaints; provide temporary pain/antibiotic relief and transport assistance if needed.
• Collaborate with community resources to increase awareness for assistance they offer in accessing dental services.

• Partners: local dental clinics, dental schools, mobile dental providers, community health centers, oral health nonprofits.

6) SOCIOECONOMIC CONDITIONS AFFECTING HEALTH AND WELLBEING SUCH AS LACK OF SAFE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, AND ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOODS

• Goal: Improve Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) support for hospitalized and ED patients to reduce readmissions and missed care.
• Actions:
• Standardize SDOH screening at admission/ED visit and embed social need navigators/case managers to arrange referrals for housing, transportation, food, and benefits.