Many progressive hospitals and health systems have historically adopted a practice of conducting periodic assessments of their community’s health needs as a direct extension of their organizational mission. Now, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 will require all not for profit hospitals to do a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) and adopt an implementation strategy to address the identified needs in order to maintain their tax-exempt status. A well-executed CHNA creates an opportunity for a hospital/health system to better understand their market, strengthen and expand programs and services, collaborate with other providers to increase access to needed health care services and, most important to their mission, ultimately enhance the overall health of their community. While this is a new requirement under reform, it can be a key component to any strategic plan.
New Heights Group has extensive experience with all aspects of conducting comprehensive CHNAs, including:
- Establishing a collaborative process involving key decision makers and stakeholders in the community, consistent with the PPACA requirements.
- Analyzing population demographics, the incidence and prevalence of diseases and related socioeconomic indicators, and health care utilization trends.
- Evaluating the types and capacity of existing private and public health care services/resources.
- Assessing community perceptions of needs, services and gaps.
- Developing recommendations for collaborative implementation strategies.
- Identifying program and service opportunities that can improve market position and financial performance.
- Creating detailed reports and recommending ongoing community health metrics.
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