Kirsten Barrett, PhD Survey and Evaluation Research Laboratory Virginia Commonwealth University

1. Community Health Needs Assessment:A Practical Example Kirsten Barrett, PhD Survey and Evaluation Research Laboratory Virginia Commonwealth University

2. The Harvest Foundation • Located in the Martinsville City • Sale of Memorial Health System • Required that a foundation be formed to carry on the hospital’s mission of improving the health, welfare and education of the community. • Foundation charged with investing proceeds from hospital’s sale and use earnings to fund grants in the local community • Board of the hospital that was sold became the Board of the Harvest Foundation

3. The Harvest AreaHenry County and Martinsville City • Population: 73,346 • Median HH Income • Henry County: $31,816 • Martinsville City: $27,441 • Virginia: $46,667 • Approximately 66% have a HS education or higher • l82% statewide and 80% nationally • Martinsville City more racially diverse than Henry County • Population slightly older than that seen statewide • Rural, manufacturing community • Economically depressed • Medically underserved

4. “The Harvest Area” Henry County and Martinsville City

5. Key Players • The Harvest Foundation • The Board • The interim executive director • The newly hired executive director • The health consultant • The community • Survey Research Lab. Staff • Jim Ellis, Andrea Glaze, Kirsten Barrett

6. Phases of the Needs Assessment • Phase I • Getting the work • Phase II • Doing the work • Phase III • Disseminating the findings • Phase IV • Community Capacity Assessment and Strategic Planning

7. Phase I • Getting the work • Initial meeting at The Harvest Foundation • Writing the proposal • Negotiating the budget • Securing contract • Timeline: September 2002 to January 2003 • During this “unfunded” period, there is a lot of time and energy put into “getting the contract”

8. Phase II • Doing the work • Modified BRFSS • Secondary data book • YRBS • Reality: PRIDE Survey • Triangulating data • Timeline: December 2002 to May 2003

9. Secondary “versus” Primary Data Healthy People 2010 Target: 90% of live births having prenatal care initiated in the first trimester. Source: Virginia Department of Health. Health Profile - Henry County and Martinsville City, 1996-2001

10. Phase III Disseminating the findings Board presentation Written reports and summary document Information available via the web Timeline: June 2003 to August 2003 BRFSS Report Secondary Data Book (SERL) Secondary Data (Harvest) Summary Document

11. Phase IV • Community Capacity Assessment and Strategic Planning • Identify key issues facing community • Determine current service capacity in terms of key issues • Best practice review • Develop preliminary “model” • Strategic plan for the Board to guide funding decision over the next four to six years • Timeline: September 2003 to March 2004

13. “Challenges” • Research-related • Level of involvement by the client and health consultant • Phone numbers • “Small community” • IRB and YRBS issues • Data at level of geography and by sub-populations • Interrelatedness of health, economics, education, etc. • Impact of new executive director on information dissemination

14. “Challenges” (con’t) • Philosophical • What is the best data to use? • Appropriate level of Board involvement? • Appropriate level of “community” involvement? • Best way to disseminate information to the community? • Timing of grants relative to the community capacity assessment? • Coordination of efforts in the community capacity assessment?