Community Health Assessments
Every four (4) years, the Guilford County Division of Public Health works with the community to identify community needs, resources, and strengths. This is called the Community Health Assessment or CHA. In this process, we review existing health and community data. We also survey community members and have community conversations to better understand the story of our community’s health.
2023-2024 Guilford County Community Health Assessment: Our Community, Our Health
The 2023-2024 Guilford County Community Health Assessment, Our Community, Our Health, captures a comprehensive picture of Guilford County’s health—through the lenses of environment, society, behavior, and lived experience—and identifies key areas for community health improvement planning.
This CHA report is not only about sharing collected data. It incorporates the voices and input of hundreds of residents as well as community partners, covering topics surrounding where we all live, work, learn, and play.
Please also consider this report a call to action. Our hope is that it will motivate each of you to get involved or to continue to play a role, individually and collectively, in making Guilford County a vibrant, equitable, and healthy community for all.
2023 – 2024 Community Health Assessment Priorities
The 2023-2024 CHA identified the following health priorities:
- Firearm (Gun) Violence and Injury
- Behavioral Health - Drug Overdose and Mental Health
- HIV and Other Sexually Transmitted Infections
- Maternal and Child Health - Infant Mortality
- Access to Health Care
- Healthy Eating and Active Living
It is important to acknowledge that Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) influence health outcomes in each of these priority areas. These social determinants include access to quality health care, education, economic stability, and a safe, supportive community and physical environment (Healthy People 2030).
These social conditions have led to significant and persistent health disparities and must be addressed to improve health outcomes and ensure all Guilford County community members have an opportunity to achieve their best health. Working together to address these “upstream” social determinants of health can improve the health of all our community members.
2023 Guilford County Community Health Survey Report
In late 2023, dedicated Guilford County Division of Public Health and County staff, community partners and volunteers interviewed over 360 randomly selected residents about important health issues and social determinants of health such as access to care, transportation, housing, and food security. We also asked about community conditions and personal health and well-being.
Thank you to the Guilford County community residents who shared their voices by participating in this survey. Without community engagement and open conversations, this information would not be available to inform our collective work to improve the community’s health. Thanks also go to the numerous staff and volunteers who assisted with these interviews.
How the Community Health Assessment Helps
The Community Health Assessment is a key public health function. It provides important information about the community’s current well-being, identifies pressing health concerns and their root causes. CHA also supports our collective work in the Community Health Improvement Plans (or CHIPS).
The Community Health Assessment also:
- Provides community agencies, organizations, and leaders with important data to focus resources and efforts on the most pressing issues
- Shines a light on key health issues and leverages partnerships to address priorities
- Engages community members and those we serve to better understand the issues that affect their health
- Synthesizes data on health and social determinants of health in one place
- Meets North Carolina Local Health Department Accreditation requirements and North Carolina General Statutes