New health data drives local solutions for mental health, housing and access to care

From helping families recover after floods to bringing fresh food and health resources directly into neighborhoods, AdventHealth is putting the latest community health data to work to help its communities live healthier - body, mind and spirit. The 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), conducted every three years by not-for-profit health systems, provides an in-depth look at current community health challenges and serves as the foundation for AdventHealth’s strategy. This approach aligns whole-person care with local priorities, disparities and the lived experiences of the people in each community.

“We have a responsibility to act on the health needs in the neighborhoods we’re so deeply rooted in. Our unique position as a whole-person health champion for our communities allows us to listen closely, identify barriers to health and act with purpose,” said JB Boonstra, executive director of community advocacy for AdventHealth. “The research we do for this report uncovers where the greatest needs are and becomes the blueprint for where we can make the biggest impact in lifting people up – body, mind and spirit.”

Each of AdventHealth’s hospitals conducts its own assessment of local health needs to guide its strategic investments. In 2025, the top priorities identified across the system include mental health and a growing emphasis on the social drivers of health (SDOH), such as economic stability, housing and access to care. These findings mark a shift from the previous 2022 CHNA cycle, where priorities also included heart disease and drug and alcohol use. The current data reflects a broader recognition of the upstream, environmental drivers of health.

The results are already visible in several local initiatives that emerged from the previous CHNA cycle:

• In Manchester, Kentucky, AdventHealth supported long-term housing recovery efforts for families displaced by flooding. The program helped provide mobile homes to residents in Clay County, one of the highest-need counties in the entire country.
• In Hendersonville, North Carolina, AdventHealth partnered with Safelight and The Free Clinics to create The Phoenix Project, which expanded access to trauma-informed primary and mental health care for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
• In Ottawa, Kansas, the Hope Bus, a mobile outreach initiative launched by AdventHealth and community partners, delivers food and connects families with critical resources.

These examples are just some of the ways CHNA findings are being translated into programs that address both immediate and long-term needs. Looking ahead, each AdventHealth hospital is now developing a Community Health Plan (CHP) based on findings from the 2025 CHNA report. The CHPs will define strategies and partnerships for 2026 through 2028 and will be publicly available by March 31, 2026.

“By carefully assessing the needs of our communities, we’re turning our mission into meaningful action - building long-term partnerships, addressing real community needs and extending whole-person care beyond clinical settings and into everyday life where it matters most,” said Boonstra.