2005 - 2010 Community Health Assessment (CHA) Definition and Purpose
Definition and Purpose
Community Health Assessment (CHA) is the ongoing process of regular and systematic collection, assembly, analysis, and distribution of information on the health needs of the community. This information includes statistics on health status, community health needs/gaps/problems, and assets. The sharing of findings with key stakeholders enables and mobilizes community members to work collaboratively towards building a healthier community.
History
The 1988 landmark report of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) entitled, "The Future of Public Health," identifies assessment, policy development and assurance as the three core functions of public health. The IOM committee defined the mission of public health as "fulfilling society's interest in assuring conditions in which people can be healthy." The core public health functions provide a framework for pursuing this mission.
Community Health Assessment in New York State
In 1997, The Public Health Agenda Committee (PHAC), a group of state and local health department representatives convened to examine state and local processes, proposed that CHAs should reflect the individuality of the community and engage community members in the assessment process.
The PHAC recognized assessment as a critical step in the overall ongoing public health planning process that provides a foundation for policy development, assurance, program implementation and evaluation.
In 2001, keeping these concepts in mind, the CHA workgroup;began development of the CHA Summary Form (hereafter referred to as the Summary Form). The Summary Form was developed with the intent of: (1) allowing counties flexibility in the format of CHA documents while (2) assuring that key information is reported, and can be located; (3) assuring key indicators are reviewed; (4) avoiding duplication of information; (5) offering the potential for optimal sharing of information at the local, regional and state levels; and (6) keeping the reporting simple.
