A community health assessment is a process by which community members gain an understanding of the health, concerns, and health care systems of the community by identifying, collecting, analyzing, and disseminating information on community assets, strengths, resources, and needs. A community health assessment usually culminates in a report or a presentation that includes information about the health of the community as it is today and about the community’s capacity to improve the lives of residents. A community health assessment can provide the basis for discussion and action.

The Community Assessment Guide Bookcan be considered a resource document or toolkit for county public health departments, Healthy Carolinians partnerships, and other community agencies. Counties start at many different places in the community health assessment process. Local Health Departments are required to complete a community health assessment for state accreditation and as part of the consolidated contract agreement. The health department is encouraged to be a partner with their Healthy Carolinians partnership, local community agencies, community residents and leaders. Healthy Carolinians partnerships are required to utilize the county community assessment as part of the certification/recertification process. This process involves broad representation from across the community, which provides the basis of the collaborative comprehensive community health assessment. There is no need to form a new community assessment team if a Healthy Carolinians partnership exists.

Community Assessment Cycle

The required public health community assessment and the resulting required Community Assessment Document are on a 4-year cycle, replacing the 2-year cycle that has been in place for the past 28 years.

Each local health department is assigned to a specific 4-year cycle. Each year a group of counties/local health departments will engage in community assessment. Support and training from  the Office of Healty Carolinians and Health Education and the State Center for Health Statistics (SCHS) will be provided each year.

Each county’s 4-year community assessment cycle will be synchronized with Healthy Carolinians Certification/Recertification. Ongoing Healthy Carolinians recertification has also been changed to a 4-year cycle. The recertification will be scheduled for the year following the community assessment.

During the three interim years, the local health department will issue a State-of-the-County Report that will provide updated information about priority health issues specific to the county.