New London ― Residents of East Lyme, Groton, Ledyard, New London, North Stonington, Old Lyme, Stonington and Waterford are invited to provide input for the 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment.

The Health Improvement Collaborative and the Eastern Connecticut Health Collaborative are pursuing the project in partnership with Lawrence + Memorial Hospital and Yale New Haven Health.

A focus group of eight to 15 residents will be conducted in English. Participants will receive a $25 gift card, and food and refreshments will be provided.

Participants need to attend one of the sessions being held from 1 to 2 p.m. and 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday at L+M Hospital, 365 Montauk Ave., New London. To register, call (203) 688-9010.

The focus group will address the following:

1. Share something you like about your community.

2. What is your definition of “community”?

3. What does a “healthy” community look like to you?

4. What are the two or three most important health needs in your community?

5. What services and resources for becoming and staying healthy are difficult to find or missing? What services and resources are difficult to access? Why?

6. How do most people learn about services in your community?

7. What health resources or services are easier to find? Why?

8. What are the top three social or environmental health needs or challenges in the community? Why?

9. What resources and services are available and/or missing in your community to help people with [needs or challenges identified in Question 5]?

10. What populations in your community experience more challenges than others?

11. What are the two or three biggest needs or challenges faced by these groups/your group?

12. What health or social services are not equally available to everyone in your community regardless of gender, race, age, income, or ability? Why?

13. Are there factors or lifestyle choices that help people stay healthier and happier? What are they? In your community, what factors or lifestyle choices help people stay healthier and happier?

14. What factors or lifestyle choices contribute the most to the health problems people in your community face?

15. If you had all the money and resources in the world and could do any one thing to make your community healthier, what would it be?