A Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) helps health leaders evaluate the health and wellness of the community they serve and identify gaps and challenges that should be addressed through new programs, services and policy changes. This report was developed as part of the Health ENC coalition’s collaborative, regional 2024 CHNA process. Health ENC – a group of stakeholders who help find ways to collaborate and share resources to improve the health of the population in eastern North Carolina – served an integral role in making this comprehensive assessment possible. The report adheres to North Carolina Local Health Department Accreditation standards, as well as Internal Revenue Service requirements for not-for-profit hospitals.  

Representatives from Onslow County collaborated to identify the priorities the county should focus on over the next three-year period. Leaders evaluated the primary and secondary data collected throughout the process to identify needs based on the size and scope, severity, the ability of hospitals or health departments to make an impact, associated health disparities, and importance to the community. Although it was not possible to identify every single area of potential need as a priority, Onslow County selected two top-priority health needs: Behavioral and Mental Health, and Chronic Disease Prevention.