Assessment and Planning

Local Health Needs & Priorities

A broad partnership oversees both the community health assessment and community health improvement plan. The mission of the committee is to identify health disparities and top health issues for Goodhue County and implement and evaluate strategies, policies, and programs.

• A community health assessment is foundational to improving and promoting the health of a community. It describes the overall health of the population, the factors that contribute to health challenges, and existing community assets and resources. It identifies 10 top health issues.
• A community health improvement plan guides Goodhue County Health and Human Services, its partners, and its stakeholders on work to improve the health of the population within Goodhue County. The plan identifies 3-5 strategic priorities to coordinate and target resources for improving health.

The community health improvement plan is based on the community health assessment.

Minnesota Department of Health has required our agency to engage in a community health improvement process since the Local Public Health Act was passed in 1976. Goodhue County Health and Human Services is required to complete a Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan every five years. Goodhue County's community health assessment meets national public health accreditation standards.