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Public health has traditionally focused on ensuring healthy outcomes and their equitable distribution in population subgroups through essential public health services consistent with public health agency mandates and community priorities. Where Health care and public health industries have historically operated in siloes, with distinct and often contradictory approaches to health. health care providers have arguably operated as part of an industrial medical complex focused primarily on treatment and cure rather than prevention (Shah, 2018). Nonprofit hospitals are expected to provide community benefits to maintain their tax-exempt status. Certain provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act require these hospitals to complete a community health needs assessment (CHNA).

hospitals are required to seek input from stakeholders who represent the broad interests of the community, including those with special knowledge of or expertise in public health for profit, such as local health departments (LHDs).2 In addition to their CHNAs, nonprofit hospitals must develop implementation strategies to address identified health needs. Activities addressing the social determinants of health currently represent a small proportion of community benefit spending, but that could change. The IRS has existing authority to require nonprofit hospitals to link community benefit spending to the priorities they have identified through CHNAs (Wiley, & Matthews, 2017).

Reference:

Shah, G. H. (2018). Local Health Departments Role in Nonprofit Hospitals Community Health Needs Assessment. American Journal of Public Health, 108(5), 595597. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.2105/AJPH.2018.304382

Wiley, L. F., & Matthews, G. W. (2017). Health Care System Transformation and Integration: A Call to Action for Public Health. Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 45, 9497. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1177/1073110517703335