Community Health Needs Assessments
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires nonprofit hospitals to conduct an assessment of the health needs of the people in the communities they serve and take steps toward addressing those needs. Hospitals are required to consult with community members in this process, including those with expertise in public health. Many state and local health departments (HDs) are also conducting community health needs assessments similar to those required of nonprofit hospitals as part of a voluntary accreditation process or as a requirement to receive continued funding. Because nonprofit hospitals and HDs have similar goals and often serve similar people, the ACA community health needs assessment requirement represents an opportunity for collaboration between HDs and nonprofit hospitals.
Resources
Spotlight
Cooperative Extension as a Partner in Creating Healthy Communities
Opportunity to Promote Public Health for Workers Exposed to Extreme Heat
Implementation Center Initiative Ramps Up Support for Public Health Agency Data Modernization
A closer look at HIPAA
The following resources provide information on community health needs assessments and explore ways in which public health agencies can collaborate with hospitals to improve the health of the people in the communities in which they serve.
Explore Topics
Related Empowered Public Health System Resources
How we can help
Legal Research and Assistance
Experienced legal experts are available to answer questions and provide research, analysis and guidance. Let us know what you’re working on and together we can figure out how we can help.
Legal Assistance Library
Explore the Network’s Legal Assistance Library to find answers to commonly asked questions on a variety of public health topics.