Priority health issues

After completing the community health assessment, the community health improvement planning team (including both local public health staff and community partners) determines priority health issues. Community health boards report these priority health issues instead of submitting a full community health assessment.

When all of Minnesota’s community health boards pool their priority health issues at the end of the assessment and planning cycle, we can see a snapshot of community health needs across the state.

MDH assistance

MDH has designed all assessment and planning guidance to help community health boards meet national public health standards developed by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB).

Staff from the MDH Center for Public Health Practice can help you consider priority health issues. To contact MDH, visit: Help and technical assistance.

National public health accreditation standards related to priority health issues

The Minnesota Department of Health requires community health boards to submit up to ten priority health issues resulting from their community health assessment process in place of submitting their full community health assessment.

1.1.2(T/L). A tribal/local community health assessment.

Related documentation:

• A tribal or local community health assessment that includes:
  • Data and information from various sources contributed to the community health assessment and how the data were obtained
  • Demographics of the population
  • Description of health issues and specific descriptions of population groups with particular health issues and inequities
  • Description of factors that contribute to specific populations’ health challenges
  • Description of existing tribal or community or assets or resources to address health issues
• Opportunity for the tribal or local community at large to review and contribute to the assessment
• The ongoing monitoring, refreshing, and adding of data and data analysis