Strategic planning is essential for communities and health care organizations to identify and prepare for meeting the future health needs of its citizens. Changes in the health care industry can have a dramatic impact on the health of a population and must be managed strategically. Planning sets direction, allocates resources, and examines the alternative courses of action available to a community. Improved planning leads to improved decision making. Improving the health of a community must begin internally with assessing and understanding its needs and identifying ways to match available resources most efficiently. It is also important to review factors in the external environment that can drive or hinder progress toward improved health. Finally, planning must address ways to integrate strategic behaviors into the everyday activities of the community.