Community Health Needs Assessment & Implementation Strategy

At Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, our mission is to advance the health and well-being of every child. A key part of this commitment is understanding the most pressing health needs facing children, youth and families across our city. Every three years, we carry out a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), combining health data with insights from more than 1,000 youth, caregivers and community partners. These findings shape our Community Health Implementation Strategy (CHIS) — a multi-year, equity-driven plan that guides how we partner with communities to create opportunities for all children and youth to thrive.

Our Latest Reports

Below is our most recent Community Health Needs Assessment report, which includes our corresponding Community Health Implementation Strategy (CHIS) for 2026-2028. Our Progress Report, also below, highlights progress and achievements from our previous Community Health Implementation Strategy (2023-2025) efforts.

• 2025 CHNA and 2026-2028 CHIS Executive Summary
• 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment
• 2026-2028 Community Health Implementation Strategy
• 2023-2025 CHIS Progress Report

An Overview: 2025 CHNA Key Findings and Priority Areas

Our CHNA focuses on four community-informed priority health issues. While all are interconnected, one stands out as foundational in how it shapes and drives health outcomes across all:

• Social and Structural Drivers of Health – includes access to care and community resources, education and basic needs, neighborhood conditions and a sense of belonging and community connection.

The three additional priority health issues are deeply influenced by these underlying drivers:

• Chronic Health Conditions – such as obesity, asthma, diabetes and other long-term health conditions
• Mental and Behavioral Health – including substance use, chronic stress, trauma and emotional well-being
• Violence and Injury – including exposure to community violence, safety concerns and preventable injuries

2026-2028 Community Health Implementation Strategy 

Based on our learnings from significant community input and an extensive analysis of key health and social metrics, we have developed a Community Health Implementation Strategy for 2026-2028 that prioritizes community health efforts for which Lurie Children’s is uniquely positioned to have the most impact.

Lurie Children’s 2026–2028 CHIS reflects our continued commitment to advancing health equity and improving outcomes for infants, children, adolescents and families across Chicago through community-driven action. The CHIS outlines a coordinated, multi-year approach to improve outcomes for Chicago infants, children and youth.

Three overarching community health pillars shape this strategy and reflect where Lurie Children’s is best positioned to make lasting impact. Each pillar includes aligned strategies, outcomes, key performance indicators and projects. With more than 95 active community health initiatives, Lurie Children’s is advancing coordinated, cross-sector solutions rooted in community voice and partnership.

Past CHNA Documents