Community Health Needs Assessment and Improvement Planning

The Community Health Improvement Process

Community health improvement (CHI) is an ongoing cycle of identifying and addressing the most pressing health-related needs of a community.

The CHI process results in a community health needs assessment (CHNA) and a community health improvement plan (CHIP). In Kent County, this cycle is repeated every 3 years.

The Kent County Health Department utilizes the Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) framework to guide the CHI process.

Download the CHI Infographic

MAPP emphasizes:

  • The role of stakeholders and community engagement
  • The need for policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change
  • Alignment of community resources towards shared goals and community-identified priorities

More information about MAPP can be found here.

Kent County's 2023 Community-Identified Priorities

  • Housing
  • Health Insurance
  • Access to Medical Care
  • Access to Healthy Food

The 2023 CHNA Report and data briefs for the four priorities are now available on the Kent County Health Connect website.

Previous Years' Priorities

2020

2017

  • Mental Health
  • Substance Use Disorder
  • Obesity and Poor Nutrition

2014

  • Mental Health
  • Obesity and Poor Nutrition
  • Substance Use Disorder
  • Violence and Safety

2011

  • Access to Affordable Healthcare
  • Reduce Disparity in Adequacy of Prenatal Care
  • Ensure Access to Healthy Foods
  • Reduce Disparities in Youth Risk and Protective Factors