Community health meeting

Defining priority health needs so we can better serve our community

Defining priority needs so we can better serve our community.

As part of Augusta Health’s commitment to the community, we coordinate a regular comprehensive Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), along with the collaboration and input of many organizations and agencies across all sectors of our community. This initiative began in 2009 and an assessment is completed every three years to ensure that we retain a current picture of our community’s needs.

The CHNA is a systematic, data-driven approach to determining health status, behaviors, and the areas of greatest health need in our local community. It provides information so the health issues of greatest concern can be identified, and appropriate resources allocated. 

Areas of opportunity are determined following the review of national benchmark data, number of residents affected, and the potential impact on community health and wellness. The current areas of opportunity, based on the most recent assessment completed in 2022 are as follows: 

  1. Access to Health Services
  2. Cancer
  3. Diabetes
  4. Heart Disease & Stroke
  5. Infant Health & Family Planning
  6. Injury & Violence
  7. Mental Health
  8. Nutrition, Physical Activity & Weight
  9. Oral Health
  10. Potentially Disabling Conditions
  11. Respiratory Diseases
  12. Social Determinants: Housing
  13. Substance Abuse
  14. Tobacco Use

From these fourteen areas of opportunity, Augusta Health identified the following significant health issues that we are currently addressing: (1) Mental Health and Substance Abuse, (2) Access to Healthcare Services, and (3) Nutrition and Physical Activity. These areas were selected based on scope and severity, as well as the ability for us to make a positive impact.

Find out more about our Community Benefit Initiatives and how we are addressing our community’s most pressing health needs.

Community Health Needs Assessment

2022 Community Health Needs Assessment

2019 Community Health Needs Assessment

2016 Community Health Needs Assessment

For inquiries or comments about Augusta Health’s Community Health Needs Assessment or Implementation Strategy, please contact the Community Outreach Department at 540-332-4190.