What is a Community Health Assessment?
A Community Health Assessment ( CHA), also known as a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), refers to a local health assessment process that uses quantitative and qualitative methods to systematically collect and analyze data to understand health within a specific community. Community health assessment data inform community decision-making, the prioritization of health problems, and the development, implementation, and evaluation of community health improvement plans. This process occurs every 6 years for the Healthy St. Mary’s Partnership. You can view the results from the 2020 Community Health Assessment for St. Mary’s County.
Healthy St. Mary’s 2026, the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) for St. Mary’s County, was created after analyzing both state and local health data. The CHIP provides a community blueprint for improving the health of local residents from 2021 – 2026. The plan provides insight into health solutions for the long term and presents a road map for achieving optimal health for all. The CHIP is a living document that is updated annually to reflect the current needs of St. Mary’s County.
Healthy St. Mary’s 2032
The Healthy St. Mary’s Partnership will be collecting data for the CHA during 2026 to create the Healthy St. Mary’s 2032 Community Health Improvement Plan to guide health improvement in the community from 2027-2032.
Community Health Assessment
The Healthy St. Mary’s Partnership invites all who live, work, or play in St. Mary’s County to complete the CHA. The purpose of this survey is to get your opinions about community health problems in St. Mary’s County, Maryland. The Healthy St. Mary’s Partnership will utilize the results of this survey, along with other available information, to identify the most pressing issues that can be addressed through community action. Your input through this survey is anonymous. The survey will take 5 -10 minutes. This survey is open from January 22, 2026, to June 30, 2026.
Por favor, tómese unos minutos para completar la siguiente encuesta. El propósito de esta encuesta es conocer su opinión sobre los problemas de salud comunitaria en el condado de St. Mary, Maryland. La Asociación Healthy St. Mary’s (St. Mary Saludable) utilizará los resultados de esta encuesta, junto con otra información disponible, para identificar los problemas más urgentes que se pueden abordar mediante la acción comunitaria. Su participación en esta encuesta es anónima. Haznos saber qué temas de salud son importantes para ti en esta encuesta de 5 a 10 minutos. La encuesta se cierra el 30 de junio de 2026
Share the CHA!
Click on the image to download a flyer
Community Partner Assessment (CPA)
The Healthy St. Mary’s Partnership is requesting that organizations complete the Community Partner Assessment (CPA) as part of our Community Health Assessment (CHA). This process helps to identify how we will improve our community’s health together. The CPA helps us identify strengths as a community and highlight opportunities for making a great impact. Thank you in advance for your willingness to support our community through this survey. This survey closed on January 28, 2026.
St. Mary’s County Assessments
MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital Community Health Needs Assessment 2021
St. Mary’s County 2020 Community Health Assessment
ALICE in Maryland: A Financial Hardship Study – 2020 Maryland Report
St. Mary’s County 2019 Health Status Report
St. Mary’s County Health Equity Report 2018
St. Mary’s County Maternal and Infant Health Profile 2017
Data
RWJ Foundation County Health Rankings
2019 Maryland Public Opinion Survey on Opioids
2018 Youth Risk Behavior Survey – St. Mary’s County High School Summary Tables
2018 Youth Risk Behavior Survey – St. Mary’s County Middle School Summary Tables
St. Mary’s County Health Department Opioid Dashboard
St. Mary’s County Air Quality Dashboard
St. Mary’s County COVID-19 Data Dashboard
Maryland State Health Improvement Process (SHIP)
Community Health Assessment Resources
AHA Community Health Improvement