Community Health Investment

Since 1910, Swedish has been a partner for health in the community. We’ve resolved to improve the health of the region beyond normal patient care. This translates to our commitment to charity care, research, community health and education. We see this service as our responsibility to our community and we take it seriously.

Today that responsibility to community also includes additional access to information. The healthcare industry is undergoing substantial changes. We believe as the community’s leading healthcare provider, it is our responsibility to also provide information and leadership on these changes.

View the 2023 Community Benefit Report

Community Health Needs Assessment CEO Message
Community Health Needs Assessment

Swedish has a long history of working collaboratively with other local health organizations and community partners to assess and address community needs through health, wellness and prevention programs, activities, initiatives and investments.

The Swedish Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) was first developed in 2006 as a requirement of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The CHNA is now part of the 2018 – 2022 Swedish Strategic Plan to “Be Our Communities Health Partner.” In 2012, each Swedish campus completed a health needs assessment and health improvement plan to identify the needs and social determinates of its respective communities in King and Snohomish counties.

The Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) process was guided by the understanding that much of a person and a community's health is determined by the conditions in which they live, work, play, and worship. In gathering information on the communities served by the hospitals, we looked not only at the health conditions of the population, but also at socioeconomic factors, the physical environment, health behaviors, and the assets and opportunities that the health system could bring to bear on the needs of individuals and communities.

The Seattle King County Public Health, Snohomish County Public Health and Verdant Health helped inform the reports by an inventory of existing services, a public survey, identifying community health indicators, measuring levels of chronic disease, behavioral health and mental illness, maternal child health, physical harm and more. We're currently in the process of developing health improvement plans to prioritize needs based upon the results of our 2021 Swedish CHNA and remain committed about monitoring and evaluating the plan regularly.

Community Health Implementation Plans (CHIP)

We value your input on the Community Health Needs Assessments and Community Health Improvement Plans. To request any of the reports without charge or provide comments, please contact Kelly Guy by email.

View Archived CHNAs and CHIPs

A message from our CEO

To Our Communities:

Swedish is proud to be our community's health care partner, caring for all who walk through our doors. We know access to quality education, employment, housing and health care factor into a person's overall health and well-being.

As an extension of our strategic planning process, every three years we participate in a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) survey. This assessment helps identify the greatest needs of those we serve. With this information, we can better focus on strategies to address them through our own programs and services, as well as in partnership with other like-minded organizations with our community benefit investments.

As outlined in our 2023 report, the following social determinants of health emerged across the communities of all Swedish locations during the assessment process: behavioral health challenges (including mental health and substance use), health care access, racism and discrimination and housing instability and homelessness. With this understanding, we will develop a community health improvement plan (CHIP) to specifically address many of these barriers to improving health. The CHIP will outline a process of strengthening our existing programs, considering new programs that will make a greater impact and partnering with other organizations and providers to collaborate on solutions.

This ensures Swedish is centered on the critical need of the communities in King and Snohomish counties. With implementation of our strategies, our patients and communities can take comfort in knowing we always work toward making our community a healthier place.

- Elizabeth Wako, M.D., MBA, President and CEO of Swedish Health Services