Issue Brief Examines Community Health Impact

CLEVELAND, Dec. 28, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Center for Health Affairs' November 2015 Issue Brief, Boosting Community Health Impact: The Vital Role of Collaboration, examines how health needs assessments are shaping local health collaboratives.

Hospitals, public health departments and other healthcare stakeholders are increasingly being tasked with analyzing the health needs in their communities in a more standardized and formalized way than they had in the past. The end goal of these efforts is to boost community health impact.

As significant health needs in the community are identified, and efforts become focused on implementing strategies that will achieve results, there has been a growing realization among all stakeholders that collaboration holds the key to achieving the greatest health impact for our communities. Collaboration is not always easy, but successful hospital-public health partnerships tend to share the same core characteristics.

The hard work of collaborating to address significant health needs is underway in Northeast Ohio with many stakeholders coming to the table to brainstorm, plan and implement solutions that will achieve greater community health impact. Some notable examples of local health collaboratives include the Health Improvement Partnership – Cuyahoga (HIP-Cuyahoga), the CHNA Roundtable, the Behavioral Health RoundTable of Cuyahoga County, and the Northeast Region Public-Private Behavioral Health Collaborative. These, and other, collaborations are essential to achieving marked improvements on our most challenging community health needs.

To browse related information and resources cited in this publication, visit The Center's CHNA Roundtable and CHNA Resources web pages as well as our Health Needs Assessment Pinterest board. 

A full list of our publications can be found on our website along with a wide range of resources covering a variety of health policy issues.

With a rich history as the Northeast Ohio hospital association, dating back to 1916, The Center for Health Affairs serves as the collective voice of hospitals and the source for Northeast Ohio hospital and healthcare information. As the leading advocate for Northeast Ohio hospitals, The Center aims to enhance the effectiveness of the healthcare community and the health of the communities it serves by providing expertise, resources and solutions to address the challenges faced by the region's healthcare providers. The Center's efforts focus on areas that benefit member hospitals from a regional approach, including healthcare workforce; emergency preparedness; public policy and advocacy; finance and reimbursement; and community initiatives. And because of its business affiliation with CHAMPS Healthcare, The Center has the resources to provide a broad level of professional services to its members. The Center, located in downtown Cleveland, is proud to advocate on behalf of 34 acute-care hospitals and two long-term acute-care hospitals in six counties. The Center for Health Affairs is honored to be named as one of The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Top Workplaces in 2014 and 2015, as well as to ERC's NorthCoast99 List in 2003, 2004, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2015. For more, visit neohospitals.org.

CONTACT: Deanna Moore
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