Background
Community health needs assessments (CHNAs) present valuable tools that can provide a wealth of information and actionable steps for hospitals and communities to identify and address numerous health needs. Additionally, the assessments provide an opportunity to engage the community in the process which raises awareness and provides a network to encourage others to address areas that they may positively impact. In this workshop, you will learn steps and processes related to a community health needs assessment conduction by exploring the different tools and data sources used in this work.
Methods
The Center for Public Health Practice and Research (CPHPR) at the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public has continuously provided support and technical expertise for rural hospitals in Georgia, Alabama, and Louisiana. CPHPR’s community-driven approach to conducting a CHNA involves four components, data gathering, assessment and evaluation, with a final component of facilitating the development of an implementation plan to establish priorities that the hospital elects to address to positively impact the health and well-being of their community. We have identified challenges and lessons learned throughout the process and ways of overcoming them.
Conclusions:
Community-based participatory research is a foundational pillar for vibrant communities and local healthcare delivery systems. Focusing on community strengths and identifying barriers and challenges that rural communities experience can bring significant improvements in health outcomes
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/angela-peden/49/
Georgia Southern University faculty members, Linda Kimsey, Bettye Apenteng, Samuel T. Opoku, Charles Owens, and Angela Peden co-presented Improving health outcomes through data collection and visualization. Building healthy rural communities in Georgia in the Georgia Public Health Association Annual Conference , May 2023.