Conducted every three years, the Community Health Needs Assessment, or CHNA, is a public survey that highlights the most pressing health concerns of Kent County residents.
Maris Brummel is a Public Health Epidemiologist with the Kent County Health Department.
“The topics that came out as top priorities were housing, health insurance, access to healthy food and access to medical care.”
That’s compared to 2020’s CHNA, which identified mental health, access to health care, racial inequality, and economic security as top concerns.
“This is the first time that mental health has not been one of the top priorities. That being said, it was, I think, fifth on that list.”
The CHNA is a collaborative effort between the health department and nearly 80 partner organizations and community leaders, including Corewell Health, Mary Free Bed and Pine Rest. This year’s assessment included a broader and more diverse group of participants due to these partnerships.
Over 5,000 Kent County residents contributed feedback through surveys and focus groups.
The report will guide the health department and local health care systems in developing a Community Health Improvement Plan, or CHIP, to address the highest priorities.
“Really, the goal for the CHIP phase is to bring together community partners and organizations to come up with goals and strategies for addressing some of these top priorities.”
View the full survey results HERE.
