Community Health Trends

The IRS requires non-profit hospitals to assess the health needs in their respective communities every 3 years.

Through Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNAs), the individual non-profit hospitals identify their community’s health-related needs and create strategies to address top priorities. Hospitals must include local partners and stakeholders in this process. (Note: Health systems with more than one hospital must complete a unique CHNA for each hospital.)

Many local health districts also complete CHNAs.

Individual hospitals and local health districts post their CHNA and companion Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) on their website.