Key Health Priorities the Focus of CHNA Roundtable Meeting

CLEVELAND, July 21, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Center for Health Affairs hosted the second meeting of the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) Roundtable on Wednesday, June 10. The focus of the meeting was to understand the top health priorities that Northeast Ohio hospitals have identified through their CHNAs and how they relate to health priorities that local health departments have identified through their community health assessments (CHAs).

Toinette Parrilla, director, Cleveland Department of Public Health (CDPH), described how the CDPH has identified infant mortality, lead, data and mental health/substance abuse as top health priorities. Terry Allan, health commissioner, Cuyahoga County Board of Health, and Heidi Gullett, a physician who works closely with the Cuyahoga County Board of Health and who holds dual roles as assistant professor at CWRU School of Medicine and Community Health and associate program director in public health/general preventive medicine, described the work of HIP-Cuyahoga and the importance of health equity when addressing health priorities.

An overview of the Health Policy Institute of Ohio's All Hands on Deck: Navigating Partnerships in Population Health Planning, a forum on the role of hospitals' and health departments' role in population health planning, was provided to the group and included an overview of the findings from a study of hospital CHNAs and health department CHAs by Melanie Golembiewski, MD, Case Western Reserve University Family Residency Program.

For more information about the CHNA Roundtable or to learn more about The Center's involvement in community health needs assessments, please contact Kirstin Craciun, MSW, MPP, director of community outreach, at 216.255.3616 or via email.

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 and 2014. For more, visit chanet.org.