As a member organization of Covenant Health, Methodist Medical Center’s mission is to improve the quality of life for East Tennesseans through better health. One important way to carry out that mission is to collaborate with communities to determine local health needs, and to work with local organizations to develop and implement plans for addressing those needs.
In addition, recent healthcare legislation requires that Methodist and other not-for-profit hospitals and health systems conduct community needs assessments every three years. While the process is not explicitly scripted, hospitals are encouraged to collaborate with key community stakeholders such as health departments, universities, and organizations such as United Way and local Chambers of Commerce.