Community Health Needs Assessment
Jon Geise
Principal
3d Health
While CHNAs are a new regulatory requirement for not-for-profit hospitals, and may appear burdensome, it is also the perfect opportunity to focus on a historically under-resourced and under-valued area in the healthcare industry: preventive care and public health services.
One of the much-overlooked components of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is the Community Health Needs Assessment ("CHNA") requirements for 501(c)(3) hospital organizations (i.e., not-for-profit hospitals). These requirements are largely being administered by the U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service.
Beginning in taxable years after March 23, 2012, Treasury and the IRS require a hospital to document a Community Health Needs Assessment for each hospital facility in a written report that includes the following:
- A description of the community served and how it was defined
- Details of the process and methods used to conduct the assessment, including data sources and analytical methods
- Any information and/or data gaps that impact the ability to assess the health needs of the community
- The identity of any collaborating organization in completing the CHNA
- The identity and qualifications of any third party completing the CHNA
- A description of how the CHNA includes input from the broad interests of the community - via meetings, focus groups, interviews, surveys, written correspondence, and other methods
- The identity of any individual providing input with special knowledge of or expertise in public health and any leaders or representatives of targeted patient populations such as the medically underserved, low-income, minority groups, and those with chronic disease
- A prioritized description of all of the community health needs identified through the CHNA, as well as the process and criteria used in prioritizing
- A description of the existing healthcare facilities and other resources available to meet the needs identified within the community
In addition to the written CHNA, hospitals must also complete an "Implementation Strategy." An Implementation Strategy is a written plan that addresses each of the community health needs identified through the CHNA.
It is important to note that CHNA is NOT about demonstrating a community need for purposes of physician recruitment, charity care policies, nor community benefit. CHNAs are focused on the health status of the communities served by not-for-profit hospitals.
3d Health is working with clients now to complete both the CHNA as well as the Implementation Strategy.
