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TCC Regional Community Health Needs Assessment

Denny DeGross, MA
John Booker, PhD
Jenny Loudon, MA
Beth Landon, MBA, MHA
Christy Garrett, BS
Stacy L. Smith, MFA
Sanna Doucette, BA
Heather Brock

In 1998 and 1999, the University of Alaska Anchorage's Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies and Alaska Center for Rural Health provided technical assistance and training support for a community health assessment project, with field work implemented by Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC). ICHS was responsible for four distinct products:

1. Fairbanks adult survey feasibility study
2. TCC adolescent survey feasibility study
3. Technical assistance in survey development for Native residents in 26 villages of the TCC region
4. Data entry, analysis, and reporting of the survey results

The feasibility studies were completed in November of 1997, and technical assistance in survey development occurred during 1998. The survey had five components:

1. Respondents' perceptions of environmental health issues in the village,
2. Perceptions of health and social service needs in the village,
3. Perceptions of health needs for the household,
4. Perceptions of own health, and
5. Demographics for respondents and household.

Of the 1,343 surveys distributed, 1,046 households responded, for an astounding overall return rate of 90.8%. Because many of the 26 villages were too small for reporting with confidentiality, villages were organized into 15 groups with corresponding reports, which also improved reliability for the analyses. In addition, a larger "regional" report combined all the respondents from all the 15 villages. The resulting information was intended for use in planning health and social service programs for the TCC region.