Community Health Needs Assessment and Improvement Planning
What is a community health needs assessment?
A community health needs assessment (CHNA) is a community-driven method of systematically studying data to inform community decision-making and policy development in relation to health. CHNAs typically include data from well-established sources, as well as new data collected from residents through community input processes. In addition to serving as a useful tool for problem identification, CHNAs also become an instrument for evaluating community success in addressing priority health concerns.
What is a community health improvement plan?
A community health improvement plan (CHIP) is a community-wide strategic plan that is developed to respond to top health issues identified through the completion of a community health needs assessment (CHNA). CHIPs include goals, objectives, and strategies agreed upon by community partners that are employed to address top health concerns. Strategies are implemented over a 3- to 5-year time-frame and evaluated for community impact.
The Kent County Health Department utilizes the Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) framework for the CHNA/CHIP cycle. More information about MAPP can be found here.
Strategic Priorities
2018
Mental Health
Substance Use Disorder
Obesity and Poor Nutrition
2015
Mental Health
Obesity and Poor Nutrition
Substance Use Disorder
Violence and Safety
2012
Access to Affordable Healthcare
Reduce Disparity in Adequacy of Prenatal Care
Ensure Access to Healthy Foods
Reduce Disparities in Youth Risk and Protective Factors