Community Health Needs Assessment

The CHNA Process at Lima Memorial

A community health needs assessment (CHNA) is a formal process of collecting and analyzing health data and then assessing the needs in a defined community based on this data. All hospitals are required to conduct a CHNA at least once every three years. Upon completion, hospitals need to adopt an implementation strategy to meet the community health needs identified through the CHNA.

What’s in a CHNA?

The CHNA takes into account input from persons who represent the broad interests of the community served by the hospital facility, including those with special knowledge of or expertise in public health. Below are some recent Lima Memorial Health System Community Health Needs Assessments.

2022 Community Health Needs Assessment
2019 Community Health Needs Assessment
2016 Community Health Needs Assessment
2013 Community Health Needs Assessment 

Allen County Public Health invited key community leaders to participate in an organized process of strategic planning to improve the health of residents of the county. This plan is used by Lima Memorial and other health, governmental, educational and human service agencies along with community partners, to set priorities and coordinate and target their resources. The Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), a systematic process of addressing health issues based on the results of assessment activities, defines the vision for the health of the community. A CHIP is critical for developing policies and defining actions that promote health. For more information, read The Allen County Community Health Improvement Plan for 2018-2020.