Public health is constantly evolving to meet the community’s needs through data-driven policies and strategic planning that support the effective, accessible delivery of programs and services.

Every five years, the Lake County Health Department partners with a countywide collaborative to conduct a Community Health Assessment and develop a Community Health Improvement Plan. These efforts provide critical data that guide decision-making, inform outreach strategies, and help direct resources where they are needed most. The data can also help identify areas where additional assessment and collaboration may be needed, as is the case with this project.

The most recent plan identifies “Access to Care” as one of the top priorities for improving health across Lake County.

Last week, partners from across the region came together to begin work on the “Northeast Lake County Healthcare Futures Initiative.” Convened by the Lake County Health Department and the Lake County Community Foundation, the initiative brings together stakeholders to assess healthcare needs and challenges in northeast Lake County. While still in its early stages, the initiative aims to build a shared understanding of the region’s current healthcare landscape and identify opportunities for the future. In partnership with Health Management Associates, the Steering Committee will explore potential solutions and strategies to strengthen healthcare access and outcomes for residents across the region.

The goal of this project is to develop a shared, data-driven understanding of northeastern Lake County’s current healthcare state and challenges. The steering committee will review analyses of regional healthcare data and identify significant needs and opportunities to inform recommendations to improve care delivery in the region. Findings and recommendations from this work will be shared with community members, healthcare leaders and elected officials to inform future efforts to improve access to care.

Organizations on the Steering Committee are Lake County Community Foundation, Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center, Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital, Advocate Condell Medical Center, City of Hope Cancer Center Chicago, Endeavor Highland Park Hospital, Erie Family Health Centers, Healthcare Foundation of Northern Lake County, Hunter Family Foundation, Illinois Department of Public Health, Lake County Partners, Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science and Schreiber Philanthropy.