This group has published a Statewide Health Assessment
and a Statewide Health Improvement Framework to
address key outcomes across the state, such as prenatal
care, high school graduation rates, and chronic disease.
There are always ways in which we can improve, but we
are starting from a good place.
Our goal is for all Minnesotans, no matter where they
live in the state, to be served by a local health department
that performs all of the essential public health services.
Minnesota’s community assessment and planning
process is comprehensive, including measurement,
planning and community engagement.
The process works to ensure that the specific health
needs of the community are addressed.
The Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP),
part of Minnesota’s 2008 health reform law, is designed
to reduce tobacco use and obesity among Minnesotans.
These are the leading preventable causes of illness and
death.
SHIP grants go to local communities and tribal
governments to develop sustainable, systemic changes
that fit the communities’ individual needs.
Sustained funding of SHIP is essential to achieve longterm improvements in health and containment of rising
health care costs.
Through this process, our local public health departments
gain a great deal of information about their communities
so they can work to address identified priorities.
Sharing resources across jurisdictions allows local public
health departments to achieve economies of scale, gain
efficiency, and increase their overall capacity, especially
as funding grows tighter.
Many factors that affect health are not under the direct
control of public health departments.
As we face challenging financial times, we must look for
creative, strategic ways to build partnerships to improve
health.
The Healthy Minnesota Partnership brings together
community partners and the Minnesota Department of
Health to improve the health and quality of life for
individuals, families, and communities in Minnesota.
SHIP works across counties in a number of regions in
Minnesota, enabling local public health departments to
collaborate in order to reduce tobacco use and obesity
among residents.
Meeting regularly with regional partners allows local
public health to see past their own jurisdictions to assess
trends in health outcomes, see regional strengths and
weaknesses, and pinpoint other issues that may benefit
from collaboration.