Overview
Making an impact on public health and changing health behaviors takes time and requires a systematic approach looking at many factors that impact our health and quality of life. To design programs and services to meet residents’ health needs, we needed to understand the environment in which they work, go to school, and spend their time.
Challenge
In 2012, the City of Sioux Falls completed its first formal CHA by inviting community partners from all sectors to come together to participate in the assessment process, including Avera Health and Sanford Health. However, due to regulations for non-profit hospitals, both health systems had also completed their own CHA reports, which meant that there were three different assessments completed for Sioux Falls.
Solution
The solution was to convene a partnership between all three agencies to complete a joint CHA. The collaboration for the Sioux Falls CHA utilized an informal structure, with verbal agreements among the primary partners to outline the scope of work and the responsibilities of each partner. Sanford Health conducts a resident survey, Avera Health facilitates focus groups and key stakeholder interviews, and the Sioux Falls Health Department coordinates secondary data review, writing the report, and general project management. The first collaborative CHA was released in 2016.
Results and Successes
The project brought together a government entity and two competing health systems that each have a unique approach to how they do business. This alone has made this effort innovative and unique. The collaboration has resulted in a broader reach to community partners and a greater ability to tell the health story of the community.
Each cycle takes about 18 months to complete. Over the years, the CHA has grown to an over 150 page report and is utilized by many including all involved partners, non-profit organizations, students, and more.
Next Steps / Tips / Suggests
Work is underway for the next CHA to be released in early 2025. The Health Department consistently seeks to include more localized, granular data. We are currently working with several State resources exploring opportunities for data sharing.
For success, we’ve found it important to understand the strengths of each partner and the resources they can bring to the table, whether that is an external partner or an internal work team.
Resources
View our past CHA’s at www.livewellsiouxfalls.org/about-us
Helpful secondary data sources include, but are not limited to the following:
- South Dakota Department of Health Office of Health Statistics
- County Health Rankings
- Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System
- CDC WISQARS
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey
- Mapping Medicare Disparities from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
- Local Fire, Police, and EMS Agencies
- Helpline Center
