Community Health Needs Assessment
Health is complex.
Your health is influenced by many factors other than your own body, such as:
Your environment
Your relationships
Access to food
Access to healthcare services
Levels of stress and trauma
The Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) examines all the factors influencing our community’s health and seeks to provide a pathway towards better health.
Examining statistics and outlining a path forward
What is in a CHNA?
A CHNA examines health statistics for the community and compares them to the state and other benchmarks and identifies available resources to address health issues and resident perceptions about health and social concerns. A CHNA also outlines major health problems and health disparities and, with significant input from the public, narrows those health issues into a manageable set of priorities.
How was the 2022 CHNA created?
The 2022 CHNA included a collection of data from primary sources (qualitative, such as interviews) and secondary sources (quantitative, such as health records). Data analysis identified significant health problems experienced by various geographic areas and resident populations within Frederick County. The CHNA answers the following questions:
What are the major causes of illness and death in the community?
What health issues and behaviors are most concerning to local citizens and community organizations serving Frederick County?
What barriers and resources exist for residents to achieve better health?
The CHNA was sponsored by the Frederick County Health Department (FCHD) and Frederick Health (FH). Participation in the CHNA process by FCHD and FH fulfills regulatory and accreditation requirements for conducting a periodic community health assessment with public input and participation.
Current Priorities
These priorities were selected by the Board of Directors of the Coalition for a Healthier Frederick County through a robust assessment process and with considerable community input. The next step in building community health involves bringing together members of the public and community partners to form Local Health Improvement Planning Workgroups, where ideas are turned into action.
Adverse Childhood Experiences in Adolescents
Raising awareness about the impact of toxic stress on children and families and promoting systems that build healthy brains and reduce the effects of toxic stress
Type 2 Diabetes
Broadening awareness of type 2 diabetes amongst community members and the medical community to make it easier to prevent and manage this chronic illness
Mental Health
Helping the community understand that “mental health” is “health,” because mental health disorders are common, treatable, and in many cases, preventable
How to Get Involved
Join the CHNA Steering Committee
The CHNA Steering Committee’s mission is to incorporate diverse community input into detailed needs assessments and data-driven health improvement strategies. They promote inclusivity and diversity by including marginalized voices to understand the needs of the entire community. Together, the committee fosters a respectful environment that emphasizes the worth and value of each individual, ensures transparency in all aspects of the work, and empowers the community.
Join the CHNA Data and Assessment Team
The CHNA Data and Assessment plays a critical role in helping to identify and understand the health priorities and challenges within the Frederick County community through assisting with the assessment processes, triangulating data, identifying themes, and conducting root cause analyses.
The CHNA Data and Assessment Team’s goals are to:
Engage the community in developing a comprehensive and timely CHNA
Identify the top population health priorities and health inequities in the community, including their root causes
Both utilize MAPP 2.0, a community-driven strategic planning process to achieve health equity. MAPP provides a structure for communities to assess their most pressing population health issues and align resources across sectors for strategic action. It emphasizes the vital role of broad stakeholders and community engagement, the need for policy, systems, and environmental change, and alignment of community resources toward shared goals.
Contact Summer at Summer@HealthierFrederick.org if you are interested in joining either committee.
Frederick County Community Health Needs Assessments
The 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment for Frederick County, MD report is currently in progress. A final report is expected by May 2025. This report is completed in partnership with the Frederick Health system and the Coalition for a Healthier Frederick County.
2023 Community Health Needs Assessment Interim Report
2022 Community Health Needs Assessment
2019 Community Health Needs Assessment
2017 Community Health Needs Assessment Interim Report
2016 Community Health Needs Assessment
2015 Community Health Needs Assessment Interim Report
