Community Health Assessments
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Working with our community and hospital partners, the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Community Health Improvement (CCHI) brings together people and resources to address challenging health problems and foster sustainable improvement.
Since 1995, the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Community Health Improvement (CCHI) has conducted community health needs assessments (CHNA) in Revere, Chelsea and Charlestown.
As a result of these assessments and together with our community partners, we have made substantial progress on preventing and reducing substance misuse, improving access to care for vulnerable populations, expanding opportunities for youth and more.
A Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) is a systematic examination of health status indicators for a given population that is used to identify key problems and assets in a community. The ultimate goal of a CHNA is to develop strategies to address the community's health needs and identified issues. Nonprofit hospitals are required to conduct a CHNA every three years under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as well as the Massachusetts Attorney General's guidelines.
The 2023 Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) outlines hospital plans to address the identified priorities and needs of the CHNA. To optimize resources and standardize efforts across the Mass General Brigham system, the Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital have joined together to develop a joint 2023 Community Health Improvement Plan for Boston and the North Suffolk Region. The CHIP includes select hospital efforts that outline goals, objectives, and strategies to address community needs. Each hospital will continue to work in their priority neighborhoods and communities while collaborating across the Mass General Brigham system to support all efforts outlined in the Improvement Plan.
2022 Community Needs Assessment Report & Impementation Plan
Within Suffolk County there are two collaboratives formed—made up of hospitals, community-based organizations city and town officials and resident leaders—to conduct needs assessments and implementation plans for both Boston and North Suffolk (Revere, Chelsea and Winthrop). While each collaborative will have a CHNA and CHIP, Massachusetts General Hospital is required by law to also have its own. This report is the Mass General Community Health Needs Assessment, based on the work of the collaboratives. For more information and full access to the Boston and North Suffolk reports, please visit: www.bostonchna.org and www.northsuffolkassessment.org.
While we are required to conduct CHNAs and CHIPs, we are also allowed to prioritize which communities and issues to focus on as long as there is a clear rationale. Therefore, we have determined that Mass General will focus on the communities with the greatest health disparities in Boston and North Suffolk.
2019 Community Health Needs Assessment Report & Implementation Plan
Mass General joined in 2018 with other member hospitals of the Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals (COBTH) to create Boston’s first city-wide health collaborative to conduct a Community Health Needs Assessment. We also co-led a regional CHNA in the North Suffolk region (Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop). And, in 2019 we joined the first health care CHNA collaborative established in Everett-Malden. This report brings together the findings of these collaborative processes and is Mass General’s CHNA which was approved by hospital governance on September 16, 2019.
2016 Community Health Needs Assessment Report & Implementation Plan
For its 2016 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) Report & Implementation Plan, the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Community Health Improvement (CCHI) focused on the factors contributing to adolescent substance use and mental health in the communities we serve: Chelsea, Revere, Charlestown, and East Boston. We engaged more than 200 youth, mental health professionals, those in recovery, and family members of those in recovery in focus groups and interviews to inform the CHNA.
2015 Community Health Needs Assessment Report
The 2015 CHNA included engaging new and existing community partners and committee members through two community assessment meetings in each community. The committee meetings were well attended, and considerable effort was made to re-engage 2012 participants and outreach to new community partners. More than 100 individuals participated across the six meetings in the three communities.
Earlier Needs Assessments
2013 Special Populations Health Assessment Report
CCHI launched the second phase of our assessment process in 2013 by reviewing national and local data and trends, and patient data when appropriate. CCHI also conducted focus groups and interviews with experts in the field who are familiar with our current programs. The report summarizes our findings and outlines our plans to improve upon our work in the coming years.
Download the 2013 Special Populations Health Assessment Report
2012 Community Health Needs Assessment
2012 Community Health Needs Assessment
By a significant margin, all three communities identified substance abuse, and the effects it has on quality of life including perceptions of violence and public safety, as their top two issues. Obesity/healthy living, cancer prevention/early detection, and access to care for vulnerable populations too were identified by all three communities. Finally, developing the assets of youth and encouraging educational attainment also were identified to protect against multiple high risk behaviors. These are CCHI’s six priority areas for at least the next three years.
2012 Charlestown Health Needs Assessment
By a significant margin, Charlestown identified substance abuse and the effects it has on quality of life including perceptions of violence and public safety, as the community's top issue. In addition the community identified cancer prevention/healthy living, access to care (with an emphasis on helping families with autistic youth) and promotion of educational attainment as additional priorities to be addressed.
2012 Chelsea Health Needs Assessment
By a significant margin, Chelsea identified substance abuse, and the effects it has on quality of life including perceptions of violence and public safety, as their top issue. Although many other health issues were identified by the community at large, the Chelsea assessment committee felt strongly about working collectively on one issue to make measurable change. There already are significant efforts targeting some of the other major areas of concern identified by the community, such as obesity, cancer prevention, education. Although much good work is already being done to prevent and treat substance use disorders, a more concerted and collective effort is needed.
2012 Revere Health Needs Assessment
By a significant margin, Revere, similar to other communities, identified substance abuse, and obesity/healthy living, as the community's top two issues. Revere also identified developing the assets of youth and encouraging healthy relationships and violence and public safety as priorities. To address the new priorities, Revere CARES will integrate gang violence into its substance abuse work and public safety into its obesity work. In addition, Revere CARES will establish the Healthy Relationship Initiative to address multiple high risk behaviors and health issues identified by the community at large, such as teen pregnancy, mental health and interpersonal violence.
Learn More
Working with our community and hospital partners, the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Community Health Improvement (CCHI) brings together people and resources to address challenging health problems and foster sustainable improvement.