Public Health and Human Services releases 2019 Community Health Improvement Plan

Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Humans Services  (PHHS) is releasing the 2019 Columbia/Boone County Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). The 2019 Columbia/Boone County CHIP is a community-oriented, data-driven strategic plan for improving health. Because it is more comprehensive than the roles and responsibilities of PHHS alone, the CHIP was developed and will be implemented with a broad set of community stakeholders and partners to help align resources and abilities to create a healthier community. 

"While Boone County consistently ranks among the healthiest counties in Missouri, there will always be room for improvement. To that end, we are happy to be working with a broad and diverse coalition of residents, City and County agencies, non-profits, and healthcare providers to determine health issues and create equitable action plans to solve those issues, " PHHS Director Stephanie Browning said.

The 2019 Columbia/Boone County CHIP was designed to serve as a guiding document for community leaders and policymakers to help improve community health, as well as creating advocates for public health. This five-year plan identifies the goals, strategies and activities that will be the focus of action teams from now until 2023. Strategic issues were identified through the course of several community forums and community surveying. Using data collected in the 2018 Community Health Assessment (CHA) and input from the survey and forums, the Live Well Boone County Steering Committee identified four priority areas. The four priority areas are mental health; medical and dental care; safety net/basic needs; and safe, healthy, affordable housing. The four action teams are meeting and beginning to implement the activities in the action plans. Action plans will be continually revised as new data becomes available and the needs of the community change. The accomplishments of the action plans, along with plan revisions, will be published annually beginning 2020. 

"The Community Health Improvement Plan helps the Community Services Department focus its efforts on issues that the community voices as needs. As a partner in this effort, we have made measurable progress in improving the well-being of our community," Boone County Director of Community Services Kelly Wallis said.

The Community Health Improvement Plan can be found on the PHHS website under the Live Well Boone County section at: CoMo.gov/Health/About-Us/Reports