Community Health Needs Assessment

Beginning in 2012, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires all non-profit hospitals to prepare a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) at least once every three years to maintain their tax-exempt status and avoid penalties. Although specific requirements are not included in the Act, the CHNA must include input from “persons who represent the broad interests of the community including those with special knowledge or expertise in public health.” The CHNA must also be made widely available to the public and include an implementation plan describing how the organization will address the community’s health needs.

The G2 Group employs a multi-step process to conduct and complete the CHNA. We believe this methodology minimizes cost and resource requirements while providing a clearly defined process that documents not only community need but also complies with current Federal guidelines and standards. Our CHNA process can also be conducted in conjunction with a Medical Staff Development Plan. Deliverables include:

Community Input

Explores the current state of the local healthcare market including access to care, quality of care and unmet community needs. This information can be collected through a variety of techniques including one-on-one interviews, community surveys or focus groups with key stakeholders.

Secondary Data Analysis

Data compiled by other agencies and organizations is collected to quantify a number of health status indicators as well as demographic, socioeconomic and other environmental factors that may affect the health of the community. We strongly recommend that community data be compared to national/state/local benchmarks when feasible to highlight areas of concern.

Community Health Needs Assessment

The key to success is selecting a manageable number of priority issues based on the data and available resources and capabilities to address them. We use a rating system that includes both quantitative and qualitative factors to prioritize community health needs. Once prioritized, specific actions and tactics are developed to address these health issues and concerns.

Communication Plan

Federal guidelines require the CHNA to be made widely available to the public. We work with the organization to develop a communication plan to share the information with the community as well as an internal campaign to inform employees and the medical staff about the CHNA.

Evaluation Plan

Future assessments will require organizations to show how they have performed. We work with the organization to develop an evaluation plan including performance metrics to determine if the objectives have been met. This process not only provides the opportunity to monitor progress but also to refine and modify actions plans as needed.