Health Data
Community Health Improvement
Panhandle Public Health District 1, in collaboration with partners from our North Idaho
communities, worked together to undertake an assessment and address the methodology in which to achieve improvement of the health within our communities.
Learn about one of Panhandle’s Priority Health Issues:
What is a Community Health Improvement Plan?
The Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) is a collaborative approach to assessing, developing, and implementing health improvement projects. Panhandle Health District utilized the Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) model. MAPP is comprised of two distinct areas: first, the comprehensive Community Health Assessment (CHA) which examined all five counties through four different assessments; and, second, the CHIP compiled strategies from the key health priorities identified in the CHA.
The CHIP is an action-oriented plan for community partners to work towards over the next five years. This document outlines the North Idaho Community Health Improvement Plan that was developed by community partners and Panhandle Health District over a series of meetings. No single organization has the depth of resources to move the needle forward to improve community health. The plan is the product of the community health assessment and community partners coming together to collectively impact community health.
The CHIP is a living document and will be reviewed and updated regularly to maximize the success of the plan, and to ensure the community partners and Panhandle Health District continue to raise the bar on success.
What is a Community Health Assessment?
- Community Themes and Strengths Assessment (CTSA): Provides a deeper understanding of issues important to community residents.
- Community Health Status Assessment (CHSA): Analyzes secondary health data to identify trends and provide a snapshot of health.
- Forces of Change Assessment (FCA): Identifies trends, factors and events that influence health, quality of life and the local public health system.
- Local Public Health System Assessment (LPHS): Identifies strengths and weaknesses of the local public health system.
These four assessments were conducted concurrently to identify common themes and opportunities for improvement within our health system. The results of the Community Health Assessment were used to inform and guide the last two phases of the MAPP process which is to formulate goals and strategies and move into action and implementation.
Priority Issues: First Steps
The Community Health Assessment (CHA) had four different assessments that examined both qualitative and quantitative data. The assessment included both primary and secondary data, key informant interviews and tools that measured the local public health system. Once the assessment was completed, the results were reviewed and examined for themes. The core team at Panhandle Health District reviewed the results of the four assessments and used the following criteria to develop a list of the top 13 health priorities.
Community Health Improvement Plan
The Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) addresses the goals, objectives and strategies for improving the overall health status in North Idaho.
The CHIP was developed in collaboration with community partners and is based on the results of the Community Health Assessment. It addresses the methodology in which to achieve improvement of health within our communities.
Our 2018 CHIP can be accessed below.
Community Health Assessment
Panhandle Health District wants to thank everyone for their participation to identify North Idaho’s health themes and strengths. Your survey response is part of the comprehensive data collection and analysis for the 2018 North Idaho Community Health Assessment. Thank you for participating! Our 2018 Community Health Assessment is now available by clicking the image on the right and our 2018 Community Health Improvement Plan coming soon.
The 2018 Community Health Assessment (CHA) provides information necessary for our health leaders, organizations and community members to make informed choices and set priorities. The CHA is a summary of work that began in 2017 to gather data and consult with residents and community leaders to learn more about the health of our communities.
The CHA will influence the Community Health Improvement Plan and strategic planning efforts in northern Idaho.
We want your feedback! Any comments or questions related to the Community Health Assessment can be submitted through the form on the right.
Local Public Health Assessment
The Local Public Health Assessment uses a survey tool from the National Public Health Performance Standards (NPHPS) program. The NPHPS helps the local public health system answer questions such as, what are the activities and capacities of the local health system and how are public health services being provided to the community. The assessment was completed by community leaders and partnering organizations in all five northern Idaho counties.
Forces of Change Assessment
The Forces of Change assessment is one of four assessments conducted as part of the Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnership (MAPP) process. This assessment focuses on identifying the trends, factors, and events that are likely to impact health and quality of life in northern Idaho’s counties. The Forces of Change assessment included one-on-one interviews with identified key community members and stakeholders.
Community Health Needs Assessment Survey Questions
Survey responses are a key part of the comprehensive data collection and analysis for the 2018 North Idaho Community Health Assessment. The survey helps us identify North Idaho’s health themes and strengths. Check out what questions were included in the survey.
Raw Secondary Data
Access all of our secondary data sources.
Resources for Community Engagement
Principles of Community Engagement
Link The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Principles of Community Engagement document provides guidance for how to best engage the community in addressing issues that affect them.
Community Engagement Strategies: Opportunities to Participate
Link The Community Engagement Strategies webpage provides information on deliberative processes for community engagement.
Community Engagement for School Boards
Link The Community Engagement for School Boards document provides information on how school boards can facilitate community engagement. This document may also be useful for others who seek to increase community engagement.
Community Engagement Toolkit
Link The Community Engagement Toolkit is a step by step guide for enhancing community engagement. This document includes sections to fill out in order to work through the process.
WHO Community Engagement Framework for Quality, People-Centered, and Resilient Health Service:
Link The WHO Community Engagement Framework for Quality, People-Centered, and Resilient Health Service outlines the community engagement framework that was the result of a workshop convened by the World Health Organization.
Community Engagement WHO
Link The Community Engagement module created by the World Health Organization provides information on community engagement, why it is important in public health, and how to facilitate it.
Best Practice for Community Engagement
Link The Best Practice for Community Engagement document provides guidance specifically for youth programs on how to engage their communities.
Community Engagement in Public Health
Link The Community Engagement in Public Health document provides information on how health departments can engage their communities. Included is insight on the experience of Contra Costa Health Services’ experience.
Engaging Partners, Stakeholders, and Community Members
Link The Engaging Partners, Stakeholders, and Community Members webpage provides resources on how to engage partners, stakeholders, and community members.
The Community Toolbox
Link The Community Toolbox is a resource for promoting community building by facilitating people within the community to work together on things that matter to them.
Community Health Assessment Toolkit
Link The Community Health Assessment Toolkit is a guide for completing a community health assessment which is a process that involves the community in identifying and addressing their health needs.
Asset-Based Community Development
Link This webpage offers asset mapping resources including the Asset-Based Community Development resource kit which outlines steps to promote well-being.
National Standards for Community Engagement (Scotland)
Link These National Standards for Community Engagement provide an outline for essential components of community engagement along with measures that can be used to determine if all the components are present.
Community Engagement Handbook (Minnesota Department of Health)
Link The Community Engagement Handbook provides tips and tools for how the effectively engage the community.
Identifying & Engaging Community Partners
Link The document Identifying & Engaging Community Partners is a toolkit that was a part of Healthy People 2010 which provides guidance on how to identify and engage community partners.
Mobilizing for Action Through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP)
Link This webpage provides information on MAPP which is a community-driven planning process for improving community health.
© Panhandle Health District 2023