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Foreword
Background
The Community Health Assessment (CHA) describes the health of the
community by presenting information on the health status, community
health needs, resources, and health services infrastructure. It
includes a socio-demographic profile of the county and seeks to
identify target populations that may be at increased risk of poor
health outcomes. The CHA also assesses the larger community environment
and how it relates to the health of individuals. New York State
public health law requires all local health departments to produce
a written community health assessment every six years with biennial
updates.
Sources
The CHA is comprised of core indicators as determined by the New
York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) that assess the community
in terms of leading causes of morbidity and mortality. The NYSDOH
is largely the source of this data. Local core indicator data is
compared with the region when ever possible, the rest of New York
State and measured by the Healthy People 2010 goals. US Census data
and information from other federal sources are also included. This
data is supplemented by local data from agencies and organizations
that assess the health and well being of their target populations.
Process
The CHA document provides an interpretation and analysis of the
data. It is also a continuous, interactive local process with regular
electronic updates of the information. This process allows for a
continual scan of the local health environment for changes in conditions
and emerging health issues which may result in local strategies.
As the lead agency for the CHA, the Health Department seeks input
from other organizations, consumers, and health care providers in
identifying health issues and concerns and determining focus areas.
In the CHA, the Health Department also identifies its priorities
as reflected in the Municipal Public Health Services Plan (MPHSP)
in safeguarding the public health that may not be as apparent to
the community at large.
Purpose
The CHA may be used for a variety of purposes:
- Planning and evaluation of the progress of community and Health
Department programs.
- Documenting the Health Department’s fulfillment of legal
and regulatory requirements.
- Cataloguing multiple health-related activities in the community,
helping to meet a broad community-wide assurance role.
- Justifying budget appropriations and program development.
- Reporting on important health outcome measures.
- Providing technical assistance to other agencies.
- Needs assessment for categorical grants.
- Source of information for researchers and policymakers.
CHA Online
PDF downloads
CHA PowerPoint (Presented
to Health Planning Council monthly meeting, Sep. 21, 2005; 637KB)
Student
Life and Culture Survey 2005
A collaboration between the Community Coalition for Healthy Youth
(CCHY) and the Ithaca City School District (ICSD) to examine student
activities, substance use, and experiences with school climate and
safety. Go
to CCHY site to download highlights from this survey and reports
from previous years.
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