Community Health Assessment (CHA)
Public Health process to periodically collect and review local data to understand the health needs of our community.
The Community Health Assessment (CHA) process collects and analyzes data to understand Mecklenburg County residents' health status, community needs, strengths and challenges. The CHA informs planning, resource allocation, and policy development to support community priorities. The CHA process includes input from diverse partners and residents through various engagement strategies like surveys, focus groups, forums, and advisory committees.
Key Documents
Three core documents are developed during the CHA cycle:
- Community Health Assessment Report- A comprehensive report highlighting the County's health status and needs
- Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) - A strategic plan to address health inequities to improve the overall health and well-being of Mecklenburg County residents when
- State of the County Health Report (SOTCH) - An annual progress report on county health status, trends, and CHIP strategies
Video Overview
Key Priorities
- Access to Care
Access to care refers to an individual’s ability to access and respond appropriately to health care services. Access to primary healthcare services is an important component of achieving and maintaining good health.
Chronic Disease
Chronic conditions like cancer, and stroke, are leading causes of premature death and disability. Learn more about our chronic disease prevention plan highlighting strategies to address tobacco control, food security and active living.
Mental Health
Mental health includes an individual’s emotional, psychological and social well-being. At every stage of life, from childhood through adulthood, mental health plays an important role in our overall health.
- Violence Prevention
Violence is a serious problem affecting all age ranges, and types of people causing death, injury, disability, and emotional health problems that devastate our community. Across the nation, and locally, increases in violent acts, particularly those perpetuated by firearms.
Maternal and Child Health
Improving the well-being of mothers, infants, and children is important as their well-being determines the health of the next generation and can impact future public health challenges for families, communities, and the health care system.
Meck Design
Meck Design is an annual event led by Public Health to engage residents, community-based organizations and other core stakeholders in the CHA process. Meck Design:
Facilitates a shared understanding of local data and community health priorities
Strengthens community connectivity through partner engagement and networking
Facilitates an environment to spark innovative solution-making to address our County’s biggest health challenges.