Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, not-for-profit hospitals are required to conduct Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNA) every three years. These assessments identify the main health needs and challenges facing the patients and communities that the hospital serves. Hospitals get this information through focus groups, interviews, surveys, analysis of health indicators, and data collection. They determine how to approach these health problems by developing, implementing, and evaluating improvement plans.

Schedule H Form

The Affordable Care Act implements the needs assessment requirement through changes in the Internal Revenue Code. The Internal Revenue Service's Schedule H form and instructions address how not-for-profit hospitals report community health needs assessment activities on their Form 990. Additionally, Schedule H, Part V, incorporates the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code Section 501(r) as contained in the Affordable Care Act. 

A CHNA is not restricted to just a single hospital assessment. In many cases, a regional approach may make sense. The challenges facing the community are often felt equally among neighboring hospitals. By identifying regional challenges, hospitals may be able to achieve greater improvements through the collective impact of additional participants.

Hospitals place their CHNA and improvement plan on their websites.

Community Health Needs Assessment Organizations

To learn more about CHNA development at your organization, contact the following representatives to set up an introductory call:

• Colleen Milligan, MBA
  Senior Manager, CHNA Services
  Baker Tilly
  (717) 808-6229
  
• Ha T. Pham, Principal
  Tripp Umbach
  (412) 281-2313
• Christine M. Fares Walley
  President, Holleran
  (215) 499-9925

HAP Contacts

For more information, contact Robert Shipp III, PhD, BSN, RN, NEA-BC, vice president, population health and clinical affairs. Media inquiries should be directed to Liam Migdail, director, media relations.

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