Norwood launching Community Health Assessment

Kathleen Bishop, Chairwoman of the Norwood Board of Health said, “I encourage all Norwood residents to spend 10 minutes taking this survey. The survey is an opportunity to have your voices heard about the most important health and social issues affecting our community and how we can improve the services we provide over the next few years.”

The Health Department is working with Health Resources in Action, Inc. (HRiA), to conduct the assessment. HRiA is a Boston-based national non-profit public health organization, with extensive experience conducting equity-focused and community-engaged CHA processes.

Using interviews, focus groups, surveys, and state and local data sources, the research team will collaborate with community members to identify current and emerging health needs across Norwood and neighboring communities. The CHA aims to understand the social, economic, and health-related issues that diverse Norwood residents face, how those issues are currently being addressed, and where there are gaps and opportunities to address these issues in the future.

The CHA process will center health equity and community engagement, while assessing the current health status of Norwood residents, and any needs for or barriers to improvement. In addition to assessing the prevalence and trends in health conditions, such as cancer, heart disease, mental health, substance use, infectious disease, and environmental health, the assessment will also explore the social and structural determinants of health that impact these trends.

Results of the assessment will inform the strategies and programs in NC-8’s Strategic Plan and will provide a vision for what NC-8 will focus on over the next 3 years. This project is funded by the COVID-19 Contact Tracing Initiative (CTCI), and will highlight infectious disease risks to our community, as well as the social and other health factors that can mitigate these risks.

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“This Community Health Assessment is especially crucial right now, given the closure of Norwood Hospital,” said Health Director Lane. “We are trying to understand the impact the closure has had on our community and how we can bring back essential services to our residents and neighboring communities.”

The final CHA is expected to be released in late summer 2026. This report will provide the NC-8 Coalition with key data to inform strategic initiatives to foster equitable health outcomes in Norwood.