The Milwaukee Health Care Partnership is committed to reducing fragmentation and creating a community wide plan for health improvement. Although the Partnership’s primary focus is on improving care delivery, the ability to collaborate on health needs assessments and planning has been identified as an ‘up stream’ value to improving the health of Milwaukee’s vulnerable populations.
Additionally, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – the health reform legislation enacted by Congress in early 2010 – contains specific requirements for hospitals regarding community health needs assessments (CHNAs). The Partnership’s health system members have stepped into the public health arena and beyond Milwaukee County to determine where shared funding and implementation of CHNAs, in collaboration with local public health departments, can help reduce fragmentation and improve health outcomes in the communities they serve.
Planning is currently underway with the health systems and health departments in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee, Washington, Racine and Kenosha counties to frame the content, timelines and deliverables for shared CHNAs that will serve as the foundation of community wide plans for health improvement.