FHN is a non-profit healthcare organization serving the greater Freeport region and northwestern Illinois. For the purposes of the Assessment, the FHN service area is defined as Stephenson, Jo Daviess, and Carroll Counties since the majority of inpatients and emergency department patients are from this area.
As required by Internal Revenue Code, section 501(r) and the Affordable Care Act, FHN Memorial Hospital (FHN) conducts a Community Health Needs Assessment every three years.
Primary data for the Assessment was collected from surveys sent to and interviews conducted with community leaders and stakeholders across a broad range of demographics and interests. The surveys measured perspectives on a range of issues that affect the population's health and well-being, such as community resources, barriers to healthcare providers, and reasons for high rates of disease and mortality. FHN also requested the collection of secondary data on a broad array of health indicators and demographic information from databases created by other agencies or organizations.
Community health needs identified through primary and secondary data collection were organized into three categories:
As requested in the Federal requirement for conducting a Community Health Needs Assessment, FHN’s Care Transitions Steering Committee has created an Implementation Strategy with actions to address each of these areas over the next three years.
For information about FHN's 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment, please review these PDF documents:
