News Releases

Members Convene for Regulatory Updates and Obesity Focus

The Center’s June 22 CHNA Roundtable meeting provided members the opportunity to hear regulatory updates related to community health needs assessments (CHNAs). There has been significant action at the federal level to attempt to pass healthcare reform legislation. Given that CHNAs are a provision tucked into the Affordable Care Act, there has been confusion about what the future holds for CHNAs. However, neither the most recently passed House version of healthcare reform bill nor the most recently released Senate healthcare reform bill make changes to the community health needs assessment requirement for hospitals. Recent requirements at the state level to submit CHNAs, implementation strategies and Schedule H’s were also discussed as well as community benefit spending trends among Northeast Ohio hospitals.

In addition to regulatory updates, meeting attendees received updated information from the following presenters:

• Beth Hustead, MS, Social Marketing Coordinator, Ohio SNAP-Ed, OSU Extension and Human Sciences, shared a social marketing campaign under development to promote fruit and vegetable consumption among low-income families with children. 
• Jodi Mitchell, External Contractor, Nestle Corporate Affairs, provided insight into the new T.E.A.M. UP! Greater Cleveland Portal, which aims to serve as a community platform to support businesses and community organizations to raise nutrition and health knowledge, encourage healthy eating and promote physical activity among children and their communities in Greater Cleveland. 

To learn more about the CHNA Roundtable, please contact Kirstin Craciun, MPP, MSW, director of community outreach, at 216.255.3616 or via email.