Problem

Nonprofit hospitals are required by federal law to conduct community health needs assessments (CHNA) every three years and to develop associated implementation strategies that address identified community health priorities.  A CHNA involves the collection and synthesis of a broad array of data about population health risk factors and outcomes and is informed by community input gathered via surveys, focus groups, and/or key informant interviews.  Parkview Health Systems (Parkview), based in Fort Wayne IN, had been preparing CHNAs for a number of years when they first approached Polis in 2015 to help them develop a more streamlined CHNA process.

Solution

The Polis Center, in collaboration with the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health developed a replicable and transparent process to assist Parkview in completing its 2016 CHNA and applied that same process to assist Parkview in completing its 2019 CHNA. The well-documented process produces findings that are easily comparable across years, allowing Parkview to build upon its previous assessments and to readily comply with IRS requirements.