The Community Health Assessment was completed throughout the year.  The Albemarle Regional Health Services Assessment Team (ARHSAT) directed this project and consisted of a team of community health individuals representing the local health departments of Albemarle Regional Health Services, Albemarle Hospital, Bertie Memorial and Chowan Hospitals-University Health Systems, Gates Partners for Health, Healthy Carolinians of the Albemarle, Three Rivers Healthy Carolinians, and local government. Together, they developed and implemented a multi-phase plan for conducting the assessment.  The phases included:  (1) a research phase to identify, collect and review demographic, socioeconomic and health data; (2) a survey phase to solicit information and opinion from the general public (a total of 560 surveys were analyzed); (3) a stakeholder interview phase to gather information and opinion from local community leaders and health and human service agencies; (4) a data synthesis and analysis phase; (5) a period of reporting and discussion among the coalition members; and finally, (6) a prioritization and decision-making phase. 

The primary data about community services, utilization of those services, and locally driven public health initiatives were collected in the form of door-to-door community health opinion surveys.  Estimates needed to be reported for each of the seven counties, so a stratified two-stage cluster sampling method was employed.  Statistical power analysis suggested that 80 surveys per county would yield acceptable precision of estimates.  To ensure sufficient households for second stage sampling, only census blocks with at least 10 households were included in the sampling frame.  The sample selected included four households in each of the 20 census blocks in each of the seven counties, for a total of 60 surveys.  The community health opinion survey is a key piece to the Community Health Assessment since it allows for resident input.  Using Geographical Information Systems or GIS, households were selected at random to participate in this survey.  Public health staff and selected volunteers visited homes in teams of two for a 30-minute, face-to-face interview as data was entered into a handheld Global Positioning System (GPS).  Questions asked on this survey included identifying the major health problems in the county and access to healthcare.  All data collected in this survey remained anonymous and will not be linked to any individual.  To ensure the safety of the citizens, community health staff wore name badges. 

ARHSAT analyzed and synthesized all secondary and primary data described above and prepared the final Albemarle Regional Community Health Assessment Reports.  A comprehensive report was unveiled this fall at which time residents and local leaders had an opportunity to assist in establishing community health priorities to address community health issues for the next four years.  After review, the Community Action Plans will then be developed with the community including an evaluation component which measures the interventions and strategies that are necessary to accomplish the goals set by the community.