No. 85 October 1994
LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT PROBLEMS AND PRIORITIES:
CONCLUSIONS FROM THE FISCAL YEAR 1994
COMMUNITY DIAGNOSIS CYCLE
by
Kathryn P. Blue
ABSTRACT
H.Q.
9
1994
Sf^%^Y
North Carolina's Community Diagnosis (CDx), a local assessment of county problems and
priorities, completed its biennial cycle in March of 1 994. Community Diagnosis is a required program
for local health departments. The CDx process consists ofthree phases, data analysis; synthesis of data
and community input; and prioritization and planning. After the planning phase, local health directors
report to the State Health Director their priority health problems and strategies to address them. The
purpose of this paper is to report the findings from the Fiscal Year 1 994 Community Diagnosis reports.
The top legislative priorities reported to the state were money for new/expanded facilities,
adolescent pregnancy prevention, and lifestyle behavior modification. Teen pregnancy, heart disease,
and infant mortality were the most often mentioned addressable community problems. "Desktop
needs" or operational needs most often reported were more space, computer training, and computer
equipment.
tF?*A
D_EXH±N±R NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH, AND NATURAL RESOURCES