Community Health Needs Assessment Reporting

In this section

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's Community Health activities are informed by the Institute's Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) and Community Health Implementation Plan (CHIP) process, conducted every three years to gain a greater understanding of the health concerns facing Boston residents. The following documents fulfill the Institute's CHNA/CHIP obligations as required under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(r)(3)(A)(iii) and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and align with the Attorney General's Office (AGO) Community Benefits Guidelines and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) priorities. The findings of the CHNA reports below have validated Dana-Farber's past and current Community Health activities, while shaping strategic priorities, directing future investments, and deepening community engagement.

As an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center, Dana-Farber is uniquely positioned to demonstrate measurable outcomes in reducing the cancer burden by building on existing Community Health activities and marshaling the collective efforts of local partners who share our mission. To advance health equity across the cancer continuum, Dana-Farber's Community Health Office focuses on the following areas:

Cancer Screening (Routine, Underutilized, and Emerging): Increasing access to and uptake of cancer screenings, particularly among populations experiencing lower screening rates
Access to Care: Improving awareness, navigation, and access to timely, high-quality care across the cancer continuum
Cancer Care Coordination and Treatment: Enhancing patient navigation, care coordination, and support throughout diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship
Social Determinants of Health: Addressing upstream factors - including food access, economic mobility, healthy living, and housing - that influence cancer risk and outcomes

These areas reflect a commitment to meeting the needs of medically underserved populations in Dana-Farber’s priority neighborhoods, while leveraging the Institute’s unique role as a comprehensive cancer center to reduce the cancer burden and improve health outcomes across the cancer care continuum.

Dana-Farber's CHNA documents are available for public review and comment through the links below. For more information, please contact Magnolia Contreras, Vice President of Community Health at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, at magnolia_contreras@dfci.harvard.edu or 617-632-3462.