Community Health Needs Assessment

The National Center for Rural Health Works has provided a community health needs assessment (CHNA) for many years. With the pass of “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” in 2010, al 501©(3) hospitals must conduct a CHNA process to meet the US Dept. Treasury and IRS rules.

The CHNA toolkit was created to provide state and community organizations the ability to complete a community health needs assessment. State and community organizations that should be contacted to complete a CHNA are state offices of rural health, rural health associations, economic development organizations, and hospital associations. Organizations utilizing our community health needs assessment toolkits should have the ability to complete a study for your community.

How long is a community health needs assessment process?

A community health needs assessment will take about 6 months. However, using our CHNA toolkit and our economic impact and data analysis tools, the process should run smoothly and be useful in creating a robust community-based health system.

What is the process of a community health needs assessment?

Shown below is a diagram, of the steps and timeline for your community health needs assessment. While the diagram shows that only three meetings are necessary, the NCRHW recommends that your center have a fourth meeting, to finalize your community health needs assessment.

Click on each of the steps you will find the necessary documents to complete each step

Basic economic impact methodology could be applied to many areas

We originally partnered with the NCRHW to conduct economic impact of our new school, but soon realized that the basic economic impact methodology could be applied to many areas. We partnered with both the NCAHD and the NCRHW in our efforts to support our OneHealth initiatives by measuring the economic impact of both veterinarians and primary care physicians throughout our Appalachian region, which was a keystone tool/products that launched many of our other activities.

Jason Johnson,DVM, MS, DACT, Vice President and Dean
Lincoln Memorial University, College of Veterinary Medicine

NCRHW now a partner of VCOM

With nearly 60% of our graduates becoming primary care physicians and over 50% practicing in a rural or under-served setting, our school fully appreciates the economic and employment impact our students and schools have upon the nation. With NCRHW now a partner of Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, we’ll share with faculty, students and stakeholders NCRHW’s vast resources through our vast education network.

Dixie Tooke-Rawlins, DO , Provost and President
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine

NCRHW now a partner of VCOM

With nearly 60% of our graduates becoming primary care physicians and over 50% practicing in a rural or under-served setting, our school fully appreciates the economic and employment impact our students and schools have upon the nation. With NCRHW now a partner of Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, we’ll share with faculty, students and stakeholders NCRHW’s vast resources through our vast education network.

Dixie Tooke-Rawlins, DO , Provost and President
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine