Standard 1.1: Collaborative community health assessment

Standard 1.1

Standard 1.2

Standard 1.3

Standard 1.4

Return to domain 1

Standard 1.1: Participate in or conduct a collaborative process resulting in a comprehensive community health assessment

The purpose of the community health assessment is to learn about the health status of the population. Community health assessments describe the health status of the population, identify areas for health improvement, determine factors that contribute to health issues, and identify assets and resources that can be mobilized to tribal, state, and local levels to address the health of the population in the jurisdiction served by the health department.

A community health assessment is a collaborative process of collecting and analyzing data and information for use in educating and mobilizing communities, developing priorities, garnering resources, and planning actions to improve the population's health. The development of a population health assessment involves the systematic collection and analysis of data and information to provide the health department and the population it serves with a sound basis for decision-making and action. Community health assessments are conducted in partnership with other organizations and include data and information on demographics; socioeconomic characteristics; quality of life; behavioral factors; the environment (including the built environment); morbidity and mortality; and other social, tribal, community, or state determinants of health status. The tribal, state, or local community health assessment will be the basis for development of the tribal, state, or local community health improvement plan.

Required documentation by measure

Keep these considerations in mind when selecting documentation for this standard:

The community health assessment (CHA) partnership must meet regularly, but the frequency of meetings or communications is determined by the partnership and may change
The PHAB guidance for CHAs lists several accepted state or national models including MAPP
Documentation must address health status disparities, health equity and high health-risk populations as a part of the description of contributing causes to health challenges

Measure 1.1.1 T/L: Participate in or conduct a local partnership for the development of a comprehensive community health assessment of the population served by the health department

Required Documentation	Examples
1. Participation of various sectors of the community
2. Regular meetings
3. Description of process used to identify issues and assets

Measure purpose: to assess the health department's collaborative process for sharing and analyzing data concerning health status, health issues, and community resources to develop a community health assessment of the population of the jurisdiction served by the health department.

Measure 1.1.2 T/L: Complete a local community health assessment

Required Documentation	Examples
1. A local community health assessment dated within the last five years	Community needs assessment
2. Documentation that the community has had an opportunity to review and contribute	Community needs assessment

Measure purpose: to assess the local health department's completion of a comprehensive community health assessment of the population of the jurisdiction served by the health department.

Measure 1.1.3 A: Ensure that the community health assessment is accessible to agencies, organizations, and the general public

Required Documentation	Examples
1. Documentation of distribution to partner agencies
2. Documentation that the CHA has been made available to the population served

Measure purpose: to assess the health department's efforts to share the community health assessment with other agencies and organizations and to make the assessment results available to the general public.