Wisconsin’s Edgerton Hospital and Health Services has a long legacy of providing compassionate care to its local community. To understand the most pressing local health needs, Edgerton Hospital conducted a community health needs assessment (CHNA). To comply with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, hospitals must conduct a CHNA every three years and devise an implementation strategy to address the results.

1. By Edgerton Hospital

2. Introduction
 Wisconsin’s Edgerton Hospital and Health Services has a
long legacy of providing compassionate care to its local
community. To understand the most pressing local health
needs, Edgerton Hospital conducted a community health
needs assessment (CHNA). To comply with the Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act, hospitals must
conduct a CHNA every three years and devise an
implementation strategy to address the results.
To ensure success, senior leaders, including hospital
executives and public health officials, must support the
CHNA project from its inception.

3. Community Health Needs
Assessment
 In addition, hospitals must determine core team members
participating in the CHNA project, along with clear
definitions of roles and responsibilities. Hospitals also
need a timeline and project plan that outlines necessary
steps for the assessment and resulting community health
improvement initiatives.
A key part of the CHNA process is developing a budget and
securing financial resources to conduct the assessment and
undertake the implementation strategy. By taking these
essential upfront steps, hospitals can ensure a successful
CHNA and work effectively toward improving key public
health issues in the community.