Professor Becky Dawson traveled with Erica Salizzoni (’16) and Elizabeth Schafer (’17) to Atlanta, GA in late May to attend the US Public Health Service’s Annual Scientific and Training Symposium. At the conference they presented their project “Identifying and Addressing Perceptions and Epidemiological Data in Meadville, PA”. This was the culmination of research completed during the first year of the CHNA (Community Health Needs Assessment) project. Under the Affordable Care Act, a community health needs assessment (CHNA) must be completed every three years by non-profit hospitals such as Meadville Medical Center (MMC) and Titusville Area Hospital (TAH).
The main purpose of the CHNA is to identify factors influencing the health status of community members, locate resources within a region and then use reliable information from the assessment in order to implement a practical and cost-effective solution. The final results of their research showed that community health needs in Meadville include chronic diseases, mental health, sexually transmitted infections, and vaccine-preventable diseases. Public health interventions, health education programs and further research are needed to address these needs.
The highlight of their presentation was that it caught the eye of US Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy. The students and Professor Dawson had the honor of not only meeting Dr. Murthy, but also talking with him about the health needs and disparities in Meadville.
