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HOME | ORGANIZATION | TASK FORCES | INITIATIVES | NEEDS ASSESSMENT | RESOURCES | COALITIONS Community Needs Assessment Information on the prevalence of risk factors and behaviors that contribute to leading causes of death helps in identifying and prioritizing areas of greatest need for health intervention and in planning effective health promotion and disease prevention programs. An excellent source of data is the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), an ongoing, random-digit dial statewide telephone survey of adult residents age 18 and older. The BRFSS is currently conducted in all states as a cooperative effort between the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health departments. The BRFSS includes questions about a wide variety of health issues from personal behaviors and access to medical care to opinions on health-related policy issues. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) provides special reports that summarize results from the BRFSS for selected cities, including Fall River. To access these reporrt or to create your own reports click here for the Massachusetts Community Health Information Profile (MassCHIP). This is a dynamic, user-friendly information service that provides free, online access to these and many other health and social indicators. With MassCHIP, you can obtain community-level data to assess health needs, monitor health status indicators, and evaluate health programs. Additional statistics for the Fall River area can be found in
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Current health information for the Fall River area can also be obtained through use of MassCHIP.