Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF), in partnership with Mat-Su Regional Medical Center (MSRMC), has published the 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), a comprehensive, community-informed report on the health and well-being of residents in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

Completed every three years, MSHF and MSRMC partner with community members, service providers, public agencies, and nonprofit organizations to assess local health conditions and to identify top health priorities in the Mat-Su. The 2025 CHNA was guided by a 24-member steering committee of community leaders and informed by input from more than 1,700 residents through surveys and focus groups.

“The CHNA helps ensure our work is grounded in data, community voice, and accountability,” said Esther Pitts, President and CEO, MSHF. “It reflects what we heard directly from our region, including what people love about the Mat-Su, what’s getting better, where challenges remain, and where focused, coordinated action can make the greatest difference.”

The 2025 CHNA combines quantitative data with community input and storytelling to provide a clear, actionable picture of current strengths and needs, and emerging challenges across the borough. The assessment identifies six health priorities that represent interconnected conditions influencing health and quality of life in the Mat-Su. As a next step, MSHF and MSRMC will work collaboratively to develop the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), translating CHNA findings into shared strategies and actions.

“We were intentional about collaborating and collecting data in a way that reflects our full community,” said Danielle Reed, Director of Evaluation and Learning, MSHF. “By actively listening through surveys and focus groups, combining that with population data, and then sharing the results broadly, we’re giving our partners a valuable tool they can use to respond to real, local needs.”

The CHNA is a shared resource for the community and can be used to strengthen grant applications and funding strategies, coordinate cross-sector planning and partnerships, and inform policy decisions, infrastructure investments, and service expansion. Community members, organizations, and decision-makers are encouraged to review the findings and use the data to inform planning, collaboration, and action.

The 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment is now available on the Mat-Su Health Foundation website. MSHF will host public presentations to share CHNA findings and discuss significance for the community; dates and details will be announced soon.