Leading by Community

The State Health Assessment (SHA) relies upon multiple types of data and sources to create the picture of how NH people experience health and wellness. These data include traditional administrative data, such as the Census, hospital admissions, and insurance claims. To align with the SHA/SHIP Advisory Council’s vision to promote health equity, the SHA is also reflects the experience of a number of communities who experience inequities that prevent them from having the same health and wellness as others.

Currently, not enough data exists to describe the experience of communities experiencing inequities in achieving their best health and wellness.  Recognizing the importance of elevating those experiences in the SHA, and the need to identify creative means to build connections with different communities, Advisory Council’s Subcommittee on Community Engagement was convened.  To narrow down the initial set of community identities for focus in this SHA and SHIP, the Subcommittee considered the following questions: 

  • Did the initial statewide 2021 Community Engagement Survey (results linked here) show significantly different experiences for a community, compared to the overall statewide results?
  • Are there recent or ongoing data collection efforts focused on the community in question?
  • How difficult was it for a community to access COVID-related information and resources?
  • How likely is it that an identity may overlap in communities? How will intersectionality play a role in understanding a community member’s experience?

For the current SHA, the Subcommittee on Community Engagement recommended focused engagement with people who share any of the following identities or experiences:

  • Communities of color
  • Refugee and immigrant status
  • Deaf or hard of hearing
  • Blind or low vision
  • Experiencing any kind of housing insecurity
  • Members of the LGBTQIA+
  • Experiencing the impacts of incarceration

The Subcommittee engaged in intensive efforts to collect additional information from these communities through a series of listening sessions and targeted survey recruitment.  The experiences shared by members of these communities are incorporated throughout the SHA, and highlighted as quotes and data points throughout the website.

In partnership with Palabras Consulting, we were able to adapt and tailor community-specific engagement strategies to amplify the voices of…

  • 335 survey respondents
  • 28 listening session participants
  • 13 community agencies

Click here for a detailed summary of what community members shared (also available in Nepali, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swahili).