Welcome to ACHI's Community Health Assessment Toolkit

The ACHI Community Health Assessment Toolkit is a guide for planning, leading and using community health needs assessments to better understand -- and ultimately improve -- the health of communities. It presents a suggested assessment framework from beginning to end in six steps, and provides practical guidance drawn from experienced professionals and a variety of proven tools.

• Access and log-in instructions are in the blue Using the Toolkit section to the right.
• Creating Synergy between Hospitals and Public Health on CHNAs, a free ACHI webinar recording made possible by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
• Assessing Health Needs: It's Good Strategy. Health Progress, Sept/Oct 2012.
• Executive Briefing on Community Health Needs Assessment. Trustee, October 2011. 
• Review the IRS 2011 Form 990 Schedule H and 2011 Instructions for Schedule H.
• PPACA Sec. 9007's community health needs assessment provisions for tax-exempt hospitals.
• Watch a 3-minute video introduction to the Toolkt or download a slide deck and a fact sheet about the Toolkit's features and benefits.
• Looking for peers' insight or advice? Join ACHI's Community Health Assessment group on LinkedIn, or write to the ACHI Members List Serv (Member log-in required).

The ACHI Community Health Assessment Toolkit includes:

• Detailed guidance on six core steps of a suggested assessment framework, including but not limited to data collection
• Step summaries containing task checklists, budget and timeline guides, and the skills useful for conducting an assessment
• Case examples with a quick reference table to help you find the most appropriate one to your situation
• Resource links to additional guides, tools and templates at every step
• Answers to frequently asked questions and access to a peer discussion forum

Community health needs assessment is both the activity and product of identifying and prioritizing a community's health needs, accomplished through the collection and analysis of data, including input from community stakeholders. It can be used to inform the development of strategies and plans to address prioritized needs, with the goal of contributing to improvements in the community's health.

Community health needs assessment methods and characteristics can vary according to the size and nature of the community, the lead organization or partners and their goals, the resources available and other local factors.

Write to assesstoolkit@aha.org with general questions, suggestions or feedback about the Toolkit.

Acknowledgements

The Association for Community Health Improvement is grateful for the perspectives, tools, and experiences provided by the 2006-2007 Community Health Assessment Work Group, the 2010-2011 Community Health Assessment Work Group, and for funding from the American Hospital Association.