New Orleans Community Health Assessment: A Data-Driven Approach to Addressing Population Health

Article By: Jennifer L. Avegno M.D. & Nola Health Department Team

Overview

The New Orleans Community Health Assessment (CHA) is a systematic, data-driven process designed to identify and analyze key health needs, priorities, and disparities within Orleans Parish. Conducted every five years by the New Orleans Health Department (NOHD), the CHA offers a comprehensive understanding of factors influencing health outcomes and serves as a tool to guide strategic planning, strengthen partnerships and cross-sector collaboration, and inform efforts to

improve population health. The findings from the CHA create the foundation for a multi-year Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), which outlines targeted strategies and measurable objectives to address issues identified by the CHA.

Purpose and Significance

The CHA aims to inform decision-making and guide resource allocation to enhance the community's health. By integrating quantitative health indicators—including disease burden and underlying social factors with qualitative insights from community members and stakeholders, the CHA ensures that resulting initiatives are both evidence-based and community-informed.

Methodology

The CHA employs a mixed-methods approach to ensure a comprehensive assessment:

• Epidemiological Data Analysis: Reviewing public health data from sources like vital statistics and disease registries. Over 150 indicators are being reviewed including the social determinants of health, morbidity, and mortality indicators.

• Community Engagement: Aiming to collect 1,000+ community surveys, conduct 6 focus groups of prioritized populations, hosting community meetings around the city, and 25 key informant interviews to gather community insights and perceptions.

• Asset Mapping: Identifying existing community resources, services, and strengths.

• Equity Analysis: Examining disparities across demographic and geographic subpopulations to highlight inequities.

Get Involved

Community participation is critical to ensuring that the CHA reflects the true needs and priorities of the population. Individuals can contribute by completing and sharing the community health survey with friends, family, and networks to broaden representation and input. Opportunities for deeper engagement include attending community meetings in the summer to review findings and provide feedback, as well as joining a CHIP working group to help translate assessment results into actionable

strategies. Active involvement from diverse community members strengthens the relevance, equity, and impact of public health initiatives.

Please complete and share the CHA Community Survey by May 31st the link or by scanning the QR code or using this link - direc.to/oYwF

Jennifer Avegno, MD

Dr. Jennifer Avegno is a New Orleans native who received her undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame, a Master of Arts in Sociology from Tulane University and her MD from Louisiana State University School of Medicine – New Orleans. She completed her

residency at LSU/Charity Hospital Emergency Medicine and joined the faculty at both LSU and Tulane shortly after graduation. As an academic faculty member, Dr. Avegno served as Associate Residency Director and Director of Undergraduate Emergency Medicine Education for both LSU and Tulane medical schools.

In 2017, she established the Division of Social Emergency Medicine at LSU, and as its director worked with institutional, governmental, and other community organizations to facilitate innovative programming, interdisciplinary partnerships, and improved population health outcomes. In 2018, she was appointed as the Director of the Health Department for the City of New Orleans, where she manages a dedicated team of public health professionals in addressing critical health needs for the community. In early 2026, Dr. Avegno was named the City’s Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, expanding her current duties to include youth and family programming, homelessness initiatives, and victim support efforts.

Dr. Avegno leads the City’s public health response to multiple epidemics and emergencies, with intentional core focus on underserved and vulnerable populations, equity and access. During her tenure at the City, she has initiated 24/7 mobile crisis intervention services, established a universal postpartum home visiting program for all New Orleans families, and created a comprehensive violence prevention strategy and ecosystem, all working with a broad and diverse set of community partners.

Honors include being named to Gambit Weekly’s “40 Under 40,” LSU School of Medicine

Alumna of the Year, an Honorary Doctorate from Loyola University of New Orleans, Girl Scouts and American Heart Association accolades, the American College of Emergency Physicians Trailblazer award, and several other leadership and teaching awards.