The webcast "What You Need to Know NOW for a Successful Community Health Assessment" is now available on the web at http://cph.osu.edu/practice/projectarchive/index.cfm.

A Community Health Assessment (CHA) is at the foundation of successful public health program planning. As funding continues to decline and grant dollars become more competitive, it is crucial that communities have the knowledge and skills to complete a thorough community health assessment.

The webcast answers such questions as:

• What does it take to complete a successful CHA?
• What resources are needed?
• Who should be involved in the process?

In 2007, the Center for Public Health Practice (formerly Office of Workforce Development) in collaboration with the Center for Healthy Communities at Wright State University assisted local public health agencies in planning their community health assessments. Technical assistance and training were provided to those agencies receiving Child and Family Health Services grant funding under a contract from the Ohio Department of Health. The purpose of this project was to help these agencies plan their community health assessment efforts.

The webcast was one outcome of this project. It presents 10 essential elements for conducting a successful community health assessment. Content is taken from public health literature and best practices in Ohio.

The webcast helps participants

• Define their agency's role in the community health assessment process,
• List key elements of a successful community health assessment, and
• Identify two action steps to improve their agency's contribution to the community health assessment process.

Log on to learn more about completing community health assessments.

For more information regarding Community Health Assessments please contact Heather Vilvens at hvilvens@cph.osu.edu or 614-292-2303.

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The Center for Public Health Practice is a part of The Ohio State University's College of Public Health. The center is home to federally funded public health programs, including the Center for Public Health Preparedness, Pennsylvania and Ohio Public Health Training Center and the Buckeye Bluegrass Regional Leadership Academy. The center provides training to hundreds of public health practitioners every year through in-person and online programs. It also offers contractual and fee-for-service support in the areas of organizational and leadership development.