Data collection began Friday for an assessment of the local public health system.

Geary Community Hospital along with the Geary County Health Department and Geary USD 475 began work on the assessment.

The assessment is needed by both the hospital and the health department in order to fit some requirements. The hospital is in need of it to comply with the affordable care act and the health department needs it to gain accreditation through the state.

Pat Hunter, Director of the Geary County Health Department, said that the accreditation is new in Kansas,”In the future they want public health entities to be accredited so we can say we are providing the right services to the people of the communities.”

The assessment will be beneficial not only for the hospital and the health department but for the community as well, according to the Mayor of Junction City, Cecil Aska. “It should give us all a better view of how and what kind of services and kind of things that we may need to enhance for the betterment of the over all community.”

Throughout the coming weeks they will be conducting a public survey of approximately 8,000 Geary County addresses, conducting focus groups as well as doing lengthy interviews with multiple people involved in the community.