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Community Health Needs Assessment Reports
At Lehigh Valley Health Network, part of Jefferson Health, it’s our mission to improve lives.
Every three years, Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN), part of Jefferson Health, produces Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNA), which provide comprehensive looks at the current state of health across our region. CHNA reports are done as a federal requirement under the Affordable Care Act. These region-based assessments identify and prioritize the most pressing health and social needs of the communities LVHN serves.
Each CHNA is grounded in a review of publicly available health data and enriched through direct input from those who live and work in our neighborhoods. These insights allow LVHN to create an Implementation Plan that outlines specific actions we will take – alongside community partners – to address priority needs over the next three years.
The 2025 CHNA highlights the importance of addressing the social drivers of health – factors such as housing, education, employment and transportation – that shape health outcomes in powerful ways. The CHNA reports place particular emphasis on people in our region experiencing health disparities or at risk for poor outcomes due to these factors. Improving health for our most vulnerable neighbors helps build healthier communities for all.
LVHN has adopted the Well-Being Portfolio as the framework for its community health strategy. This holistic approach focuses both on meeting urgent needs – like access to care and food – and on long-term investments that promote lasting well-being. The Portfolio identifies seven vital conditions for health and well-being:
- Basic Needs for Health and Safety
- Lifelong Learning
- Meaningful Work and Wealth
- Humane Housing
- A Thriving Natural World
- Reliable Transportation
- Belonging and Civic Muscle
The CHNA uses both quantitative data (like public health statistics) and qualitative insights (like community interviews and forums) to understand the region’s needs. New this year is a corresponding comprehensive data dashboard, developed by the Pool Center for Health Analytics (PCHA), that offers a deeper look at the health trends, disparities and conditions affecting each county in our service area.
