As healthcare providers, understanding the specific health needs of the communities we serve has never been more important. A comprehensive Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) is an invaluable tool that enables healthcare organizations to evaluate the health priorities of a region, make data-driven decisions and ultimately offer more effective, equitable care.  What is a Community Health Needs Assessment?  A CHNA is a structured process in which healthcare organizations collect and analyze information about community health status, resources and needs. It’s an essential step for any healthcare provider committed to delivering patient-centered care that addresses acute and chronic health conditions and proactively supports community wellness. Learn how to get started with a CHNA , or check out our more recent  essential Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) guide.   The value of a comprehensive approach  Unlike basic health assessments, a comprehensi...

Sourcing impartial data is an essential step in conducting a Health Equity Impact Assessment. In this short FAQ, DataGen’s Melissa Bauer, principal healthcare informatics analyst, explains:   impartial data in relation to health equity assessment and advancement;   why impartial data are needed; and   how impartial data help hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and other providers evaluate how healthcare proposals may or may not impact underserved communities.   FAQ 1: What are impartial data?   Third-party data sources and independent entities are to provide impartial data. These data provide an accurate understanding of the potential effects of healthcare initiatives while helping to ensure that supporting data points and, ultimately, decisions are not biased toward the provider. An example of impartial data would include the underserved/marginal population rates for the service area of contracting providers.    FAQ 2: Why i...

New York enacted legislation last year requiring healthcare providers to contract with a third-party, referred to as an independent entity, to define if and how some proposed projects will impact health equity. Hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and other facilities must now, for many projects, provide a Health Equity Impact Assessment conducted by an independent entity as part of their Certificate of Need application. To help your organization complete these new requirements, we've highlighted five essential HEIA components. Read on for a distilled HEIA summary. Plus, learn how experienced assessment partners can facilitate successful expansion, amplify the community’s voice and improve health equity.  Health Equity Impact Assessment requirements Effective June 22, 2023, hospitals, ASCs and other Article 28 facilities in New York state must submit HEIA documentation with their CON applications. For projects requiring an HEIA, providers’ contracted independent entities must use ...

The healthcare industry has faced many new challenges in recent years. How does this seemingly ever-changing landscape impact healthcare improvement in 2024 and beyond? Based on the Institute for Healthcare Improvement 2023 Forum, quality improvement, safety and culture, equity and a functional delivery system remain top priorities across sectors. This was reflected in the forum agenda , which included 10 tracks and a scientific symposium with three primary focus areas: Quality: Addressing value, cost and quality; diagnostic excellence and improvement science Culture and safety: Building capability, leadership, workforce well-being and patient and workforce safety Patient focus: Equity, person-centered care and population health Since DataGen participated, we’ll give you some exclusive insight into what was discussed so you can better understand what’s driving healthcare in the new year. The future of healthcare improvement: 4 major insights 1. Quality requires a systems approach Th...

Multiple organizations have prioritized provider health equity requirements — from new CMS priorities in their Framework for Health Equity to accreditation standards from The Joint Commission. NCQA’s Health Equity Accreditation is one of its newest programs . Introduced in 2021, HEA expands accreditation from payers to multiple stakeholders including medical practices and health systems. A second NCQA accreditation, Health Equity Accreditation Plus, takes practices further into the social drivers of health and community partnerships. With so many existing demands, it’s natural for a medical practice to ask: Why should we pursue HEA or HEA+, and what are the benefits for our patients and practice? In this blog, we’ll cover three ways NCQA accreditation helps medical practices improve health equity and achieve full practice transformation under this new model of care. How NCQA Health Equity Accreditation can reduce health disparities 1. Increase patient awareness NCQA’s HEA standards hel...