Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan

We need data to understand the health status of our communities, set goals, and know whether we have made a difference for the health of us all. Lorain County Public Health, with partners from hospitals and many community agencies, collectively assesses and prioritizes community needs to improve the health and well-being of residents.

The first step is a comprehensive community health assessment (CHA) - a survey that includes questions about:

Adult health behaviors, conducted by the Hospital Council of Northwest Ohio
Youth health behaviors, conducted by the Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board of Lorain County, now part of the Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services Board of Lorain County.

Next, using CHA results and local and state data sources to identify health priorities, partners create and implement a community health improvement plan (CHIP). This 3-year plan involves collaboration to achieve unified strategies. Current Lorain County CHIP priorities include: