LAUSR

Graduates of health disciplines such as public health, nursing, and social work may recall a time in their education that they were required to conduct a community health assessment. The stated purpose of this academic exercise was to learn as much as could be about the community in which dedicated work would be done to guide clear plans that fit the needs and assets of that community. The concept of knowing the community that one serves is a major cornerstone both of public health practice and of health department accreditation. Well-conducted community health assessment and community health improvement plans provide the basis for everything else that is documented regarding the capacity of the health department to serve that community. For accreditation purposes, the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) defines a community health assessment as a collaborative process of collecting and analyzing data and information for use in educating and mobilizing communities, developing priorities, garnering resources or using resources in different ways, adopting or revising policies, and planning and evaluating actions to improve the population’s health. A well-developed community health assessment involves the systematic collection and analysis of data and information to provide a sound basis for decision making and action. Community health assessments should be conducted in partnership with other organizations and members of the community and include data and information on demographics, socioeconomic characteristics, quality of life, community resources, behavioral factors, the environment (including the built environment), morbidity and mortality, and other determinants of health. Following on, PHAB expects a community health