Community Health Assessments

What are Community Health Assessments?

The Community Health Assessment (CHA) isolates and identifies key health needs and issues in a community. By using a variety of data and topics to collect and analyze, issues and trends can be assessed and analyzed thoroughly. Accordingly, these assessments are a vital tool for providing focus and directing activities and initiatives to improve a community’s health status.

Utilizing the MAPP (Mobilizing Action through Planning and Partnerships) model, developed by the National Association of City and County Health Officials (NACCHO), Three Rivers engages with each of our four counties (communities) through partnerships or collaborations to address health needs and issues identified in our community assessments.

HISTORY of COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENTS AT THREE RIVERS

Three Rivers was the first Health Department in Kentucky to complete the second version of the National Public Health Performance Standards Program (NPHPSP). The NPHPSP and several other community assessments were conducted to identify public health problems in Carroll, Gallatin, Owen, and Pendleton Counties. After identifying problems, community partners in all four counties formed collaborative groups to address perceived and projected health and safety-related shortfalls in their communities.

Today, these groups continue to meet regularly and work to drive positive change in the health of our communities. The groups are a collaborative effort of community partners in each county, with Three Rivers serving as the organizing agency. The meetings are always open to the public, and opinions, concerns, and ideas are welcomed and encouraged.