Phone Survey Hopes to Address Gulf Coast Health Needs

One Gulf Coast health system is trying to get a better handle of the health needs of the community by calling people up and asking them how they are feeling. MPB’s Phoebe Judge reports.

The survey conducted by the Singing River Health System in Jackson County, will include 1000 people randomly selected from the community. Cindy Rawlings, director of wellness services for SRHS, says the questions in the survey will cover a broad range,

“They’re going to ask how do you feel today. Do you ever have trouble getting to your doctor, do you have financial concerns, just getting an appointment is that ever an issue. “

Richard Lucas is vice-president of communications for SRHS. He says the days of the closed door hospitals are over, and that the survey is an attempt to better serve the community,

“We need to know more about what the citizens are saying, do they think we need more of this or less of that, here is something that they would like to see us consider doing. You have to know what your patients need before you can truly serve them the best.”

But Singing River doesn’t plan on keeping the information which will be gathered from the survey to themselves says Cindy Rawlings,

“We’ll get key players together in the health care system. None of us in this day and age need duplication of services. We all need to work together in the community to make it happen and to address these unmet health needs.”

The 90,000 dollar study is expected to take six to nine months to complete.