Health centers must meet a strict set of requirements including assessing the needs of its target population. This webpage provides helpful resources addressing the collection of needs assessment data.
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Needs Assessment Information and Tips
Online Needs Assessment Resources
NEEDS ASSESSMENT INFORMATION AND TIPS
Health centers are non-profit private or public entities that serve designated medically underserved populations/areas or special medically underserved populations comprised of migrant and seasonal farmworkers, the homeless, or residents of public housing (section 330(a) of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act). According to the first of 19 Key Health Center Program Requirements, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), which receive Federal funding, and Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alikes, which do not, must demonstrate and document the needs of their target population, including updating their service area, when appropriate (section 330(k)(2) and section 330(k)(3)(J) of the PHS Act).
In order to become eligible for federally-qualified status, and to meet the requirements on an ongoing basis, health center applicants and grantees must perform periodic needs assessments. Needs assessments document the needs of the CHC’s target population and are used to inform and improve the delivery of appropriate services. Critical information is needed to develop the community needs assessment, services, delivery plan, and business model for the health center and for obtaining federal designations and/or funding. Thus, needs assessments typically include, but are not limited to, data on:
- Definition of the proposed service area
- Population composition
- Socio-demographics
- Break-down by Federal Poverty Levels
- Percent of population at or below 200% of poverty
- Percent of uninsured population
- Description of current service providers within the area
- Primary care, sorted by Family Practice, Pediatrics, OB/GYN
- Dental
- Mental Health
- Population to Primary Care Physician FTE ratio
- Proximity to providers who accept Medicaid and/or uninsured patients
- Health indicators (e.g. diabetes, hypertension, low birth weight, immunization rates)
- HPSA, MUA/MUP federal designations
- Barriers to Service
Needs assessment data must be expressed in the appropriate format (e.g. percentages or fractions) and the sources for the data must be presented. There must be a direct relationship between the needs assessment data and focus of the application, i.e. a health disparity presented in the needs assessment is addressed in the health care plan, operational support required to address the disparity is located within the business plan, and staffing required to deliver the service dictated by the disparity is identified within the budget.
For additional information about health center requirements, please review the following resources:
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
- Authorizing Legislation of the Health Center Program: Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. §254b)
- Health Center Program Compliance Manual
National Archives & Records Administration Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR)
- Regulations for Grants for Community Health Services: 42 CFR Part 51c
- Regulations for Grants for Migrant Health Services: 42 CFR Parts 56.201-56.604
- Regulations for Health and Human Services Grants: 45 CFR Part 74
ONLINE NEEDS ASSESSMENT RESOURCES
Community Needs Assessment Tool
Community Health Needs Assessment
Web-based platform that shows demographics and performance on a core set of community indicators for a selected area
Community Needs Assessment and Data-Supported Decision Making: Keys to Building Responsive and Effective Health Centers
National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC)
Document that focuses on the collection and use of needs assessment data and answers many common questions
Data Tools
North Dakota Department of Health
Tools for calculating age-adjusted rates, locating ICD codes, converting death rates, providing age-adjusted ratios, and standard occupational classifications
FQHC New Access Point: Need for Assistance Worksheet (Form 9) Tool Builder
Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association
PowerPoint presentation with step-by-step instructions to build a time-saving “Need for Assistance Worksheet”
Needs Assessment
NeedsAssessment.org
A variety of resources—from articles to podcasts—on needs assessment
So You Want to Start A Health Center…?
National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC)
The Needs Assessment and Planning chapter of this guide provides an overview of needs assessment and planning, and information on federal shortage designations and how to obtain federal shortage designation
Primary Health Care: The Health Center Program
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
Information and news on the requirements of health centers, how to apply for funding, open funding opportunities, continuation opportunities for current grantees, special populations, Policy Information Notices (PINs) and Program Assistance Letters (PALs), capital development, and technical assistance
Principles to Consider for the Implementation of a Community Health Needs Assessment Process
National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI)
Report identifies seven guiding principles to inform the implementation community health needs assessments and implementation plans, including those being conducted by nonprofit hospitals
Program/Proposal Logic Model Part One: Doing Community Needs Assessments
NACHC Developing Effective FQHC Programs and Applications, September 2010
Information from Part One of Pamela Byrnes’ “The Program/Proposal Logic Model” presentation slides, reformatted in a user-friendly handout, providing guidance on identifying needs, service area, target population, patients, health status, access to care, barriers to care, environment, and special populations
Program/Proposal Logic Model Part Two: Dig Deeper into Data
NACHC Developing Effective FQHC Programs and Applications, September 2010
Information from Part Two of Pamela Byrnes’ “The Program/Proposal Logic Model” presentation slides, reformatted in a user-friendly handout, providing guidance on finding and generating relevant data, qualitative approaches to collecting data, secondary data collection, places to find data, and extrapolating data
Quick Guide: Conducting Your Health Center’s Needs Assessment
National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC)
Guide providing health center staff with an overview of key considerations, tools, and strategies for planning and implementing a community needs assessment
Resource Organizations List
National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC)
List of agencies and organizations that provide information, technical assistance, funds, or other support to CHCs
Special Populations Information
National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC)
A how-to guide on finding information on special populations by state, county, or city level
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