Community Health Survey

The Community Health Survey is an important source of data on the health of adults in Benton County. The survey has been conducted in 2021, 2016, and 2013.  

The purpose of this survey is to collect data about the current health status of the people living in Benton County. These data are used to track progress and identify potential areas for improvement throughout the assessment process. The survey is an integral source of data for the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). 

The Central Minnesota Alliance (CMA), a partnership between Benton County, Sherburne County, Stearns County and CentraCare, conducted the Community Health Survey of adults between March and June 2021 in Benton, Sherburne and Stearns Counties. This survey was a mailed survey and was sent to a random sample of households in the three counties. Since then, we have been working to synthesize the data into a document that is easily shareable for our partners to view. We have curated data books for these areas:

• Benton County  
• Sherburne County 
• Stearns County  
• St. Cloud Metro 
• Region (Benton, Sherburne and Stearns Counties together) 

We also distributed an electronic survey in 2021 to capture information from groups that we felt were underrepresented. The data collected from this survey is included in a separate data book.

2021 Community Health Survey Data Books & Highlights

• CMA Mailed Survey Fact Sheet (PDF)
• 2021-2022 CMA Status Assessment Committee Top Data Points of Concern (PDF)
• Benton County Mailed Survey Databook (PDF)
• Region Mailed Survey Databook (PDF)
• Region Electronic Survey Databook (PDF)
• St. Cloud Mailed Survey Databook (PDF)
• Sherburne County Mailed Survey Databook (PDF)
• Stearns County Mailed Survey Databook (PDF)

We extend our sincere gratitude to all the participants who took part in the Community Health Survey. Should you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at Benton County Public Health, or any of our partnering organizations within the Central MN Alliance. We are here to support you and assist in navigating the data effectively.

• Benton: publichealth@co.benton.mn.us 
• Sherburne: public.health@co.sherburne.mn.us 
• Stearns: healthforall@co.stearns.mn.us 
• CentraCare: communityhealthimprovement@centracare.com

Former Community Health Survey Documents

• View the 2016 Health Survey Results.

If you have difficulty viewing the entire page, please try clicking the "Full Screen" button in the bottom right of the page. It is not "mobile-friendly," best viewed on a desktop or larger tablet screen.

• 2016 Central Minnesota Health Survey (PDF)
• 2016 Survey Methodology (PDF)
• 2013 Community Health Rural Survey Results (PDF)
• 2013 Community Health Whole Survey Results (PDF)
• Community Health Data 2014 (PDF)

Community Health Assessment

At least every five years, Benton County Public Health is required to conduct a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) and prepare a Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). The purpose of the CHNA is to learn about the health status of the people living in Sherburne County and identify top community health concerns and areas for improvement. The information learned during the CHNA process is then used to create the CHIP. 

Neighboring counties have the same requirement and CentraCare has a similar requirement.  

In an effort to be more effective in meeting the needs of the community and completing mandatory requirements, the three Public Health Agencies in the counties of Benton, Sherburne, and Stearns, along with CentraCare, have developed a partnership called the Central MN Alliance (CMA) to complete the CHNA and CHIP work together. 

This work has not been done in isolation, but in collaboration with the community. There have been and will continue to be opportunities for input into the process, the product, and future needs or changes to the document. This is significant because it is not only a guide for these initial partners but is also the plan for interventions by you, the community. 

We encourage you to continue to partner with all of us as we strive to make the Central Region of Minnesota the healthiest in the state! 

2022-2025 Community Health Improvement Plan & Community Health Needs Assessment

• Central MN Alliance CHIP CHNA 2022-2025-Version-1-Updated-6.29.22 (PDF)

Former Community Health Planning Documents

• View the 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment (PDF)

Strategic Plan

Strategic planning is a process for defining and determining an organization’s roles, priorities, and direction over three to five years. A strategic plan sets forth what an organization plans to achieve, how it will achieve it, and how it will know if it has achieved it. 

This strategic plan provides a guide for making decisions on allocating resources and on taking action to pursue strategies and priorities for Benton County’s Public Health Unit. View the Strategic Plan Report 2020-2024 (PDF).

Quality Improvement Plan

Quality improvement (QI) in public health is the use of a deliberate and defined improvement process like Plan-Do-Study-Act (or PDSA), which is focused on activities that are responsive to community needs and improving population health. It refers to a continuous and ongoing effort to achieve measurable improvements in the efficiency, effectiveness, performance, accountability, outcomes, and other indicators of quality in services or processes which achieve equity and improve the health of the community.^[1]

A quality improvement plan is a basic guidance document that describes how a health department will manage, deploy, and review quality. It also serves to inform staff and stakeholders of the direction, timeline, activities, and importance of quality and quality improvement.^[2]

^[1]Riley WJ, Moran JW, Corso LC, Beitsch LM, Bialek R, and Cofsky A. (2010). Defining quality improvement in public health. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice 16(1), 5-7.^[2]Kane T, Moran J, and Armbruster S (2011). Developing a health department quality improvement plan. Washington, DC: Public Health

The Benton Plan

Benton County Public Health Unit will utilize this document as a guide for all quality improvement projects. Download the Quality Improvement Plan 2014 (PDF).