One size does not fit all: understanding the challenges and usefulness of the community health needs assessment

Verzella, Liana (2014) One size does not fit all: understanding the challenges and usefulness of the community health needs assessment. Master Essay, University of Pittsburgh.

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Abstract

The passing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and The Health Care Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010 created new requirements and responsibilities for tax-exempt hospitals, one of them being a community health needs assessment. In July of 2011, the IRS further clarified the requirements of the needs assessments and mandated that hospitals report their findings on the Schedule H of the Form 990. Although this process was created to help heath care systems best care for the needs of their communities’, these new expectations have put a strain on many healthcare organizations, especially those not positioned to meet the needs identified in their assessments. The community health needs assessment, or CHNA, seeks to understand the needs, health status, and behaviors of the community served by a hospital, yet it does not take into account the myriad and diversity of the tax-exempt healthcare organizations that make up today’s market. Is it realistic to assume that all healthcare systems can meet the same requirements, whether it is a 10-bed specialty hospital, or multi hospital, integrated healthcare system? In a time of healthcare reform, resource scarcity and economic instability, the CHNA adds another layer of complication for many healthcare organizations, yet it can also be a beneficial and resourceful asset. This piece takes a look into the usefulness and challenges of the CHNA, and the idea that it may not be a “one size fits all” process, as the IRS had originally anticipated. As healthcare is transitioning from acute episodic care to population based care, the CHNA will play a large role in the success of healthcare organizations achieving this goal. The CHNA will become a useful tool in the planning and implementation of population and community-based programs, and while improving the public health sector to help shape the future of healthcare.

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Details

Item Type:	Other Thesis, Dissertation, or Long Paper (Master Essay)
Status:	Unpublished
Creators/Authors:	Creators Email Pitt Username ORCID Verzella, Liana
Contributors:	Contribution Contributors Name Email Pitt Username ORCID Committee Chair Castle, Nicholas castlen@pitt.edu CASTLEN UNSPECIFIED Committee Member Cassidy, Brenda cassb@pitt.edu CASSB UNSPECIFIED Committee Member Schanwald, Pamela pschanwald@chomepgh.org UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
Date:	April 2014
Date Type:	Publication
Access Restriction:	No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately.
Publisher:	University of Pittsburgh
Institution:	University of Pittsburgh
Schools and Programs:	School of Public Health > Health Policy & Management
Degree:	MHA - Master of Health Administration
Thesis Type:	Master Essay
Refereed:	Yes
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Community, Health, Needs, Assessment, Challenges, Public, Health
Date Deposited:	26 May 2015 19:31
Last Modified:	14 Mar 2021 09:55
URI:	http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/21006

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