Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan

We need data to understand the health status of our communities, to set goals, and to know whether we have made a difference for the health of us all.

Using local data, Lorain County Public Health - with partners from hospitals and many community agencies - collectively assess and prioritize 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
• Data sets from state and local sources.

Next, using CHA results to identify health priorities, partners create and implement a community health improvement plan (CHIP). This 5-year plan involves collaboration to achieve unified strategies. Current Lorain County CHIP priorities include:

1. Improve access to care
2. Expand coordinated education and prevention services
3. Improve weight issues and obesity among adults and children
4. Reduce alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse among adults and children
5. Improve mental health of seniors, adults, and children

• Current data from the 2015 Lorain County Community Health Assessment
• Current Lorain County Community Health Improvement Plan, revised August 2018