Bayhealth completed its latest Community Health Needs Assessment, gathering input from over 4,000 Kent and Sussex County residents to identify the region’s top health priorities. (Photo courtesy of Bayhealth.)
Bayhealth has completed its latest Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), highlighting the most pressing health concerns in Kent and Sussex counties and setting priorities for improving community health. The assessment, conducted every three years, gathered input from more than 4,000 residents.
To reach as many community members as possible, Bayhealth offered the survey in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. Teams partnered with schools, churches, nonprofits, advocacy groups, and grassroots organizations to hear from populations often underrepresented in traditional health surveys.
“This CHNA reinforces that our community’s needs go beyond clinical care—people need access, support, and partners who will walk alongside them,” said Amanda Bowie, Bayhealth’s vice president of marketing, communications, and community outreach. “We care deeply about this community, and we’re using this data to drive meaningful change.”
The assessment identified five key health priorities for the region:
Access to Healthcare Services — addressing clinician shortages, appointment challenges, transportation barriers, and medical costs.
Mental Health & Substance Use Disorder — rising demand for behavioral health support, concerns about youth mental health, and bullying.
Chronic Disease Prevention & Management — high rates of diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and related conditions.
Maternal & Child Health — Delaware continues to have one of the nation’s highest infant mortality rates, with Kent and Sussex counties most affected.
Health Equity & Social Determinants of Health — barriers related to income, education, housing, food insecurity, and homelessness.
Bayhealth’s Community Outreach team has developed an Implementation Plan to address these priorities. The plan brings together clinical leaders, operational teams, behavioral health specialists, and external partners to create measurable action steps that directly respond to community needs.
The findings will guide Bayhealth’s sponsorships, partnerships, and programs focused on mental health, access to care, maternal and child health, chronic disease reduction, and addressing broader social determinants of health.
The finalized CHNA and Implementation Plan are available at Bayhealth.org/Community-Outreach.
Sara Uzer is a journalist from Sussex County with more than 15 years of experience as a writer, editor, and community advocate. She started her career in Washington, DC and has lived in Sussex County for the past five years.