Making a Community Health Needs Assessment Participatory: A Case Study from an Alaska Native Health Care Organization

• DOI: 10.5820/aian.3202.2025.1
• Publication Date: 2025-03-19T20:36:18Z
• Authors: Lily Ray; Vanessa Hiratsuka; Karen Cheung; Denise Dillard; Michelle Tierney; Spero Manson
• Keywords: Community-Based Participatory Research; Community Health; Needs assessment

Community health needs assessments (CHNAs) often lack sufficient community member participation. This of participation contributes to a continuation unmet and systematic inequities. Southcentral Foundation (SCF) is an Alaska Native-owned, nonprofit healthcare organization serving 70,000 Native American Indian (AN/AI) people living in around Anchorage 55 rural villages. Results 1993 CHNA shaped the organizational mission, vision, principles, objectives, initiatives as SCF assumed care from Health Service. We describe methods used by maximize diverse members second large-scale 2018, how results align with existing values priorities, were disseminated. discuss benefits periodic CHNAs ongoing engagement.