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Community Reports

Community Benefit Accountability Reporting 2020

Community Health Needs Assessment

A community health needs assessment (CHNA) is defined as a systematic process involving the community to identify and analyze community health needs and assets in order to develop strategies that address these needs. This CHNA addresses requirements of the Internal Revenue Service code sections 501c3 and 501r2. It is performed in accordance with the codes and is approved by the Board of Directors of Boulder Community Health (BCH) for a three year period.

During the prior CHNA period (2017-2019), Boulder Community Health made significant progress in addressing the needs of the community it serves particularly in the area of mental health care. A detailed report of all of the activities is included in this document.

The population served by Boulder Community Health faces both acute and chronic disease management challenges. Through the assessment process, Boulder Community Health noted the following:

  • Chronic disease management including the care of diabetes, coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, cancer care, and preventive care account for roughly 50% of health care spending in Boulder County.
  • Traumatic and other acute care services make up 40% of health care spending.
  • Behavioral Health (including mental health and substance use disorders) impacts both acute and chronic care and also significantly impacts the management of chronic disease management of those with comorbid medical conditions.
  • Negative progress in some community health indicators may benefit from focused community education.
  • Boulder Community Health recognizes the broader social determinants of health and the role they play in influencing the overall health of individuals, as well as our community. BCH recognizes that it has limited ability to influence or change all social factors and believes that maximizing the comprehensive assets within the BCH health care system is the best way to serve the community. BCH is committed to partnering with community agencies to play an expanded role in collaborating to invest in improving the social determinants that are impacting health and within BCH’s control to influence. In addition, great strides are being made in assessing social determinants through screening and navigating patients to the appropriate resources.
  • Boulder Community Health expanded the number of Community input sessions and invitees and these sessions were invaluable in gathering feedback and validating process results.

The Boulder Community Health CHNA process again identified the same three needs from the prior CHNA period and added community education as a fourth as those of the greatest needs within our community. BCH will focus its efforts on specific objectives in the following areas and revise them annually:

  1. Chronic disease management and traumatic injury
  2. Mental health including chronic pain management and substance abuse
  3. Wellness and preventative health including aging of the population and access to care
  4. Community education

BCH performs updates to the CHNA Implementation Strategy annually through a process established by the State of Colorado under the Hospital Community Benefit Accountability Law. Updates are also performed during the CHNA process.

View the CHNA and Implementation Strategy