Page 11 - 2015 Compass Now

COMPASS councils were advisory groups of local experts in the fields of education, income, health, and a OVERVIEW
variety of community issues. These members collected and reviewed data, analyzed the survey results, and
offered professional insights about topic-specific issues in the Great Rivers Region. After significant review
of the data and survey results, priority issues were identified by COMPASS council members. These issues
were then ranked by Council members using the criteria below:

1. How widespread is the issue in our community?
2. How serious are the effects of the issue in our community?
3. How important is the issue to the community?

The COMPASS NOW Steering Committee then applied its knowledge of the issues. The combination of
COMPASS Council recommendations and the insights from the COMPASS NOW Steering Committee resulted
in the identification of three top areas of need for each of the four Great Rivers United Way pillars.

COMPASS NOW provides guidance and should provide a foundation for action plans that solve problems,
long term. Great Rivers United Way uses COMPASS NOW to guide its grant allocation process and develop its
strategic plan. Healthcare organizations and county health departments use COMPASS NOW to develop their
own community health improvement plans (CHIPs).

The COMPASS NOW 2015 partnership is made up of Great Rivers United Way, Gundersen Health System,
Mayo Clinic Health System-La Crosse, Mayo Clinic Health System-Sparta, Otto Bremer Foundation,
Gundersen St. Joseph’s Hospital and Clinics, Tomah Memorial Hospital, Gundersen Tri-County Hospital
and Clinics, Vernon Memorial Healthcare, La Crosse Community Foundation, La Crosse County Health
Department, Monroe County Health Department, Trempealeau County Health Department, Vernon County
Health Department, and Houston County Health Department.

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