In short, the Chatham County Community Assessment is a reflection of the county's health and well-being. In addition to helping secure funding for the Chatham County Public Health Department and Chatham Hospital, the Assessment guides our work, lets us know how we are doing, and helps us figure out where we should focus our collective efforts. In practice, the surveys, interviews and research done during the Assessment leads to the selection of three Health Impact Priorities, which the Alliance uses to shape its work for the next three years. In 2018, the Alliance chose Access to Comprehensive Health Services, Poverty and Healthy Eating & Active Living as its priorities. The data from the Community Assessment and subsequent surveys will also be used to track progress on existing efforts.

The 2021 Assessment has three main components for gathering information from the population: the Chatham County Community Survey, community conversations and local data from existing sources.

The community survey is designed to get a reflective view of the Chatham community as a whole. We do this by drawing a random sample of county residents and then reach out to these households to complete the survey. To ensure this sample of residents truly represents Chatham County, it is important that those who are selected take the time to complete it. Without this participation, some areas of the county may not be heard, which could jeopardize the success of this process. Therefore, we are extremely grateful to those selected residents who take the time to complete the survey. To ensure that we get an accurate statistical representation of the Chatham community, only those randomly selected will be asked to fill out the survey. If you would like to share your thoughts as part of our process, you can participate in a Story Circle near you!

A Story Circle is a small group of individuals sitting in a circle, sharing stories from their own experience focused on a common theme. As each tells a personal story, a larger and more complex narrative unfolds. By listening deeply to each other, individuals can see both real differences and commonalities in their experiences. Story Circles conducted for the Community Assessment will be held in different areas of the county. Stay tuned to learn how you can sign up for one near you!

Your household was randomly selected to participate. Many of the questions on the survey can be answered as a household. For the personal health questions we ask that you only provide responses for one member of your household who 18 years or older. For new participants, who in your household provides this personal information is up to you; if you have completed a prior survey for this project, the same person should fill out this survey.

Yes, this is a new process for community assessments, and helps us to understand how county residents’ priorities change over time to help us respond effectively. You may receive up to two surveys per year, and remain eligible to participate as long as you reside in the county. You are never required to complete a survey. More information can be found in the protocol.

No, all responses will be aggregated before they are shared, and data will be stored on a secured server.

No, the survey is voluntary, and you may withdraw at any time. We hope that those who receive the survey invitation take the time to go online and fill it out, as this helps to ensure we have a good view of what is going on across the entire county. However, no one is required to take it.

We are working with experienced researchers from the University of North Carolina to administer the survey and relying on UNC to manage the data collection. The survey data is collected on UNC servers to maintain the highest security of the data to ensure confidentiality of all data you provide. The consent forms are administered in Qualtrics software and the Community Assessment is administered using Epi Info software – two systems are used to further protect the confidentiality of the data you provide, so that the information provided in the consent form (name, contact info) is not stored with your responses to the Community Assessment.

In short, the Chatham County Community Assessment is a reflection of the county's health and well-being. In addition to helping secure funding for the Chatham County Public Health Department and Chatham Hospital, the Assessment guides our work, lets us know how we are doing, and helps us figure out where we should focus our collective efforts. In practice, the surveys, interviews and research done during the Assessment leads to the selection of three Health Impact Priorities, which the Alliance uses to shape its work for the next three years. In 2018, the Alliance chose Access to Comprehensive Health Services, Poverty and Healthy Eating & Active Living as its priorities. The data from the Community Assessment and subsequent surveys will also be used to track progress on existing efforts.

The 2021 Assessment has three main components for gathering information from the population: the Chatham County Community Survey, community conversations and local data from existing sources.

The community survey is designed to get a reflective view of the Chatham community as a whole. We do this by drawing a random sample of county residents and then reach out to these households to complete the survey. To ensure this sample of residents truly represents Chatham County, it is important that those who are selected take the time to complete it. Without this participation, some areas of the county may not be heard, which could jeopardize the success of this process. Therefore, we are extremely grateful to those selected residents who take the time to complete the survey. To ensure that we get an accurate statistical representation of the Chatham community, only those randomly selected will be asked to fill out the survey. If you would like to share your thoughts as part of our process, you can participate in a Story Circle near you!

A Story Circle is a small group of individuals sitting in a circle, sharing stories from their own experience focused on a common theme. As each tells a personal story, a larger and more complex narrative unfolds. By listening deeply to each other, individuals can see both real differences and commonalities in their experiences. Story Circles conducted for the Community Assessment will be held in different areas of the county. Stay tuned to learn how you can sign up for one near you!

Your household was randomly selected to participate. Many of the questions on the survey can be answered as a household. For the personal health questions we ask that you only provide responses for one member of your household who 18 years or older. For new participants, who in your household provides this personal information is up to you; if you have completed a prior survey for this project, the same person should fill out this survey.

Yes, this is a new process for community assessments, and helps us to understand how county residents’ priorities change over time to help us respond effectively. You may receive up to two surveys per year, and remain eligible to participate as long as you reside in the county. You are never required to complete a survey. More information can be found in the protocol.

No, all responses will be aggregated before they are shared, and data will be stored on a secured server.

No, the survey is voluntary, and you may withdraw at any time. We hope that those who receive the survey invitation take the time to go online and fill it out, as this helps to ensure we have a good view of what is going on across the entire county. However, no one is required to take it.

We are working with experienced researchers from the University of North Carolina to administer the survey and relying on UNC to manage the data collection. The survey data is collected on UNC servers to maintain the highest security of the data to ensure confidentiality of all data you provide. The consent forms are administered in Qualtrics software and the Community Assessment is administered using Epi Info software – two systems are used to further protect the confidentiality of the data you provide, so that the information provided in the consent form (name, contact info) is not stored with your responses to the Community Assessment.