Seal of Illinois

Illinois Hospital Report Card

and Consumer Guide to Health Care

Hospital Community Health Needs Assessments


Providing quality, affordable health care and improving the health of communities are central aims of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. One of the requirements of the Act specifies that hospitals must conduct a community health needs assessment in order to maintain non-profit status. A community health needs assessment is a process that collects and analyzes data to understand the health needs of a given community. Assessments examine issues such as risk factors for disease, illness and mortality, socioeconomic and environmental conditions, inequities in health, and quality of life. The assessment can help identify and prioritize health problems, and facilitate planning and actions to address those problems. Sharing information from a community health needs assessment can mobilize community members to collaborate to build a healthier community and prevent disease.

The Affordable Care Act requires hospitals conduct a community health needs assessment that takes into account input from people who represent the broad interests of the community served by the hospital. The assessment must be conducted every three years and be widely available to the public. Some key elements the assessment should include are a description of the community, prioritization of community health needs, and an implementation strategy or plan for how the hospital will help meet the prioritized health needs. Below are links to currently available hospital community health needs assessments.

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