Thanking All Who Participated in the St. Vincent’s Community Health Assessment Survey

Thomas K. Duane

May 16, 2011

May 13 was the last day for community members to fill out the St. Vincent’s Community Health Assessment Survey, which was created and distributed by the Lower West Side Health Needs Assessment Steering Committee and the CUNY School of Public Health at Hunter College in order to learn how the closure of St. Vincent’s Hospital has affected area residents’ health care.

In the end, over 1,600 residents of the neighborhoods that St. Vincent’s Hospital formerly served filled out the survey, which will be used to enhance the quantitative data that the Steering Committee has been collecting, reviewing and analyzing.  I want to especially commend and thank CB2 for its leadership in disseminating the survey, which was available in English, Spanish and Mandarin, and was distributed online as well as in hard copy though many of our community institutions.  I also want to thank Hudson Guild, The Caring Community, Greenwich House, the New York Immigration Coalition, VillageCare, public school parents and many other stakeholders who worked to get this survey to the public and particularly those who lack easy internet access.

The results of this survey, along with other qualitative data that has been collected and the quantitative data which is being processed by the Steering Committee, will be instrumental in helping us ensure that our community’s health care needs are met.  I thank all those who took the time to participate.