Community Health Needs Assessment and Improvement Planning

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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