A community health assessment (CHA) is done every three years. By collecting data, organizations can review how healthy people in a certain area are and is used to identify the top strengths and weaknesses in a community. Conclusions from the CHA report can help community partners make better decisions, prioritize certain things over others, and assist in the creation of a new Community Health Improvement Plan. Ultimately, the goal of creating the CHA is to come up with strategies to address the community’s health needs and improve issues that were identified.
To create a CHA, community engagement and collaborative participation are needed. Clay County conducted its first Community Health Assessment in 2015 with the Northland Health Alliance and other community partners.