Local health department problems and priorities: conclusions from the fiscal year 1994 community diagnosis cycle

No. 85 October 1994 LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT PROBLEMS AND PRIORITIES: CONCLUSIONS FROM THE FISCAL YEAR 1994 COMMUNITY DIAGNOSIS CYCLE by Kathryn P. Blue ABSTRACT North Carolina's Community Diagnosis (CDx), a local assessment of county problems and priorities, completed its biennial cycle in March of 1994. Community Diagnosis is a required program for local health departments. The CDx process consists of three 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. NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH. AND NATURAL RESOURCES