Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association (Jul 2016)

Fulfilling Community Health Assessment Requirements: Lessons Learned From Facilitating State-Wide Community Health Forums

  • Ashley Walker,
  • Angela Peden,
  • Stuart Tedders,
  • John Barron,
  • Aaron Jackson,
  • Nicholas Williams,
  • Bethrand Ugwu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.21633/jgpha.6.122
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 6, no. 1

Abstract

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Background: A prerequisite for National Public Health Accreditation is completion of a Community Health Assessment (CHA) that presents an exhaustive profile of the population served by a particular public health agency. Methods: The Georgia Department of Public Health (GA DPH) contracted with the Center for Public Health Practice and Research at Georgia Southern University to facilitate five state-wide community health forums. Results: Evaluation of the forums yielded qualitative data illustrating current challenges faced by Georgians, as well as assets that could be leveraged to improve health status. Conclusion: Lessons learned from these state-wide community health forums can be applied to improve the overall process of gathering data for a comprehensive CHA throughout Georgia or other areas interested in pursuing public health agency accreditation.

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