The Rapides Foundation announces the release of the 2018 Community Health Needs Assessment, a comprehensive data-driven report that studies the health, behaviors and needs of people living in the Foundation’s nine-parish service area.

The purpose of the assessment is to identify major health problems, gaps in services and other factors that may contribute to less than optimal health status for Central Louisiana residents. The 2018 report follows similar Community Health Needs Assessments conducted in 1997, 2002, 2005, 2010 and 2013.

The Foundation worked with an independent research firm, Professional Research Consultants, Inc., of Omaha, Nebraska, to complete phone surveys with community members throughout its nine-parish service area: Allen, Avoyelles, Catahoula, Grant, LaSalle, Natchitoches, Rapides, Vernon and Winn. The telephone surveys were conducted from January through May 2018.

"We want to thank everyone for their trust and openness to taking part in the survey by sharing much-needed information that will help in raising awareness about the health status of Central Louisiana residents,” said Akeshia Singleton, Director of Evaluation for the Foundation. “We were able to do this largely in part due to the community’s continued participation throughout the region."

The survey asked residents about chronic diseases, social environment indicators, healthy eating habits, ability to get medical care, quality of life, civic participation and volunteer habits, to name a few, all in an effort to provide an accurate snapshot of the health of Central Louisiana.

The results of Community Health Needs Assessments are used to inform the Foundation’s strategies and goals for improving the health of our community. Nonprofit organizations often use the information to make informed decisions and guide efforts to improve community health and wellness.

Community Health Needs Assessments can be found on the Foundation’s website under the Newsroom tab.

View the 2018 Reports