Community Health Needs Assessments

Have a resource to suggest? Share your favorite tools and resources today!

Community Health Needs Assessments

Access tools, data, and reports you need by visiting tools previously featured on Community Commons.

Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNA) are part strategic plan and part grounding rod. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) requires tax-exempt hospitals to create a hospital community health needs assessment every three years. This hospital CHNA is developed alongside community stakeholders. The community health needs assessment requirements include:

Demographic Assessment identifying the community the hospital serves

A community health needs assessment survey of perceived healthcare issues
Quantitative analysis of actual health care issues
Appraisal of current efforts to address the healthcare issues
Formulate a 3-year plan - the community comes together to address those remaining issues collectively, ultimately working towards growing a healthier community