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Community Health Needs

A Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) is a systematic, data-driven approach to determining the health status, behaviors and needs residents. Subsequently, this information may be used to inform decisions and guide efforts to improve community health and wellness.

A Community Health Needs Assessment provides information so that communities may identify issues of greatest concern and decide to commit resources to those areas, thereby making the greatest possible impact on community health status.

Significant Health Needs of the Community

The following “areas of opportunity” represent the significant health needs of the community, based on the information gathered through this Community Health Needs Assessment and the guidelines set forth in Healthy People 2020. From these data, opportunities for health improvement exist in the area with regard to the following health issues (see also the summary tables presented in the following section).

The Areas of Opportunity were determined after consideration of various criteria, including: standing in comparison with benchmark data (particularly national data); the preponderance of significant findings within topic areas; the magnitude of the issue in terms of the number of persons affected; and the potential health impact of a given issue.

Areas of Opportunity Identified Through This Assessment

Access to Healthcare Services

  • Barriers to Access
    • Inconvenient Office Hours
    • Cost of Prescriptions
    • Cost of Physician Visits
    • Finding a Physician
    • Lack of Transportation
    • Culture/Language
  • Skipping/Stretching Prescriptions
  • Difficulty Accessing Children’s Healthcare
  • Completion of Advance Directives
  • Specific Source of Ongoing Medical Care
  • Emergency Room Utilization
  • Low Health Literacy
  • Regular Dental Care
  • Children’s Dental Care

Cancer

  • Cancer is a leading cause of death.
  • Cancer Incidence
    • Including Prostate Cancer, Female Breast Cancer Incidence
  • Female Breast Cancer Screening
  • Cervical Cancer Screening
  • Cancer ranked as a top concern in the Online Key Informant Survey.

Dementia, Including Alzheimer’s Disease

  • Dementias/Alzheimer’s Disease ranked as a top concern in the Online Key Informant Survey.

Diabetes

  • Prevalence of Borderline/Pre-Diabetes
  • Diabetes ranked as a top concern in the Online Key Informant Survey

Heart Disease & Stroke

  • Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death.
  • Stroke Prevalence
  • Blood Pressure Screening
  • High Blood Cholesterol Prevalence
  • Heart Disease & Stroke ranked as a top concern in the Online Key Informant Survey.

Immunization & Infectious Diseases

  • Flu Vaccination [High-Risk 18-64]
  • Pneumonia Vaccination [65+]
  • Septicemia Deaths

Mental Health

  • Stress
  • Seeking Help for Mental Health
  • Symptoms of Chronic Depression
  • Mental Health ranked as a top concern in the Online Key Informant Survey.

Nutrition, Physical Activity & Weight

  • Food Insecurity
  • Fruit/Vegetable Consumption
  • Difficulty Accessing Fresh Produce
  • Overweight & Obesity [Children]
  • Leisure-Time Physical Activity
  • Children’s Physical Activity

Potentially Disabling Conditions

  • Blindness/Vision Trouble

Respiratory Diseases

  • Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposure at Home (Including Among Households With Children)

Substance Abuse

  • Excessive Drinking
  • Drinking & Driving
  • Substance Abuse ranked as a top concern in the Online Key Informant Survey.

 

Community Health Needs Assessment Reports