Community Health Improvement
Many factors influence the health and well-being of a community. It’s not just about disease prevalence or medical care or public health services, it’s a combination of factors including social and economic conditions, available educational services, individual behaviors, and the financial stability and prosperity of a community itself.
Everyone within the community – within St. Croix County – can contribute to and share responsibility for its protection and improvement.
Working together
Since 1995, communities throughout Wisconsin have developed and implemented local health plans, typically every five years, to address health conditions impacting their residents. This process has been referred to as the “Community Health Improvement Process (CHIP)”, named in part, due to the resulting health status changes in a community and the people who live there.
In June 2008, Hudson Hospital & Clinics and St. Croix County Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) – Public Health joined together to begin assessing and prioritizing health needs in the region. The St. Croix County Community Health Improvement Process, facilitated by both these organizations, is a strategic, ongoing, community-based approach for creating and maintaining healthy communities. A steering committee of 25+ members representing diverse organizations and agencies from across the county provides oversight and guidance. Together, the committee regularly assesses the state of the county’s health.
The goal of CHIP is to:
- Identify critical health issues
- Prioritize health needs
For the purpose of:
- Educating and mobilizing area organizations to address top health priorities
- Garner resources
- Plan actions to improve public health and quality of life
St. Croix County Community Health Needs Assessment 2009-2014
The community health needs assessment produced a significant amount of noteworthy information that can help in understanding both the current and future health care needs and quality of life issues in St. Croix County. The intent is that community individuals and organizations will use this information to set priorities, strengthen existing programs and services, and when necessary develop new ones to improve community health, unify efforts in allocation of community resources, and secure grant funding for current and future projects.
St. Croix County Community Health Needs Assessment 2009-2014 Executive Summary
St. Croix County Community Health Needs Assessment 2009-2014 Full Report
Photovoice
We all know the impact photos can have – the feelings and emotions they can evoke and the discussions they can generate...
Photovoice, an innovative research method developed by Dr. Caroline Wang during the late 1990s (www.photovoice.com), was selected as the qualitative research components of the St. Croix County Community Health Improvement Process because it focuses on social action and developing partnerships for change. Learn more here.