Community Health Assessment

All Minnesota Community Health Boards are required to participate in assessment and planning, to determine local public health priorities and focus local resources on the greatest community and organizational needs. Carlton County is part of the Carlton, Cook, Lake, St. Louis Community Health Board and performs a Community Health Assessment (CHA) every five years, which also informs the four-county assessment.

A CHA a picture of the health status of the jurisdiction. It identifies and describes factors that affect the health of a community, and the available resources to address those factors. A community health board, or another lead organization, in partnership with community, collects, analyzes, and begins to use data to determine health priorities and make decisions about action to improve health for the population.  Carlton County's most recent CHA process took place from mid 2022 through early 2023. Please click here to view the 2-page report.

From the CHA, a Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) is created, based on the leading health-related concerns, that outlines Public Health's Strategies, along with Community Partners, to address the concerns. The CHIP is a long-term (5-year), systematic effort to improve health in our county within the three identified priority areas of Mental Health and Wellbeing Promotion, Substance Use Prevention, and Obesity Prevention. In addition to guidance from the CHA, community listening sessions have been held to also help inform activities. Please click her to view a brief 1-page overview of the CHIP Goals and Activities.

For questions about the CHA and/or CHIP, please contact Joanne Erspamer, Family & Community Unit Public Health Supervisor, at joanne.erspamer@carltoncountymn.gov.