Improving Community Health

Part of Our Core Mission

We have undertaken these assessments and used them to inform how we engaged with community voluntarily every three years since 1995. They're now required under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act—but we see them as much more than a legal requirement. They are part of our core mission of healing, discovery, and education. 

The needs assessment process involves months of work by individuals throughout our health system and our community. The project benefits from the input of many community members who contribute their time, energy, insight, and expertise — from board members, physicians, and nurses to faith leaders, educators, public health experts, and leaders of community-based organizations. We are grateful for their partnership and support.

The needs assessments are completed through systemwide and hospital-specific analysis of priority community health needs. In response, the implementation strategies are developed to outline how our hospitals intend to address these needs and build on local relationships and assets. Below are links to both the Community Health Needs Assessments and Implementation Strategies reports for each of our hospitals. 

For information about what we are doing in community, including 2026 activities and 2025 impact, please review our 2026 Fairview Community Action Plan, as well as the 2026 Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital and the 2026 Fairview Range Medical Center action plans.

Implementation Strategy Reports - 2025-2027

• Bethesda Hospital
• Fairview Lakes Medical Center
• Fairview Northland Medical Center
• Fairview Range
• Fairview Ridges Hospital
• Fairview Southdale Hospital
• Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital
• St. John's Hospital
• University of Minnesota Medical Center and Masonic Children's Hospital
• Woodwinds Health Campus

Community Health Needs Assessments – 2024

We recently completed our 2024-2026 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). Three key areas have been identified as the greatest needs in our community — and the greatest opportunities to make a real difference through collaboration and connection: 

• Accessing and navigating care and resources
• Addressing structural racism and barriers to equity
• Cultivating trust, belonging and healing

Importantly, one thing we heard from the community and saw in the data is that the social determinants of health impact some populations more than others. Based on what we learned during our assessment process, we are prioritizing two populations: racial and ethnic populations experiencing health disparities and people experiencing poverty. The people in these groups are all ages, and they live everywhere from the countryside to the city. We will intentionally seek out the needs and perspectives of these populations that experience greater health inequities, in order to partner with them on building solutions and removing barriers. Many specific concerns fall under each of these areas of need. We used barriers identified in the local communities to help guide us in creating and expanding relevant programs and focused services. 
 
Read the full reports:

• Bethesda Hospital
• Fairview Lakes Medical Center 
• Fairview Northland Medical Center 
• Fairview Range 
• Fairview Ridges Hospital
• Fairview Southdale Hospital
• Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital
• St. John’s Hospital 
• University of Minnesota Medical Center
• Woodwinds Health Campus

Community Health Needs Assessments Implementation Strategy Reports (2022-2024)

• Bethesda Hospital
• Fairview Lakes Medical Center 
• Fairview Northland Medical Center  
• Fairview Range 
• Fairview Ridges Hospital
• Fairview Southdale Hospital
• Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital 
• St. John’s Hospital 
• St. Joseph’s Hospital 
• University of Minnesota Medical Center
• Woodwinds Health Campus