BFHD participates in a local process to assess community wide health priorities in collaboration with a multitude of community partners. This process and resulting report is called a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). Tax exempt hospitals are required to participate in completing a CHNA every three years. BFHD is also required to have a current CHNA in order to maintain national accreditation as a public health agency.
The CHNA is a document that summarizes needs, resources, and systems within the community. The Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) focuses the needs into evidence-based goals and objectives aimed to resolve disparities, improve health, and reduce barriers. The CHNA and the CHIP belong to all community members, including partners. They can help agencies focus their activities, obtain resources, and identify partnerships.