State Health Improvement Plan

Implementation

As mandated by statute, the State of Illinois regularly produces a State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) that outlines priorities and strategies for health status and public health system improvement, with a focus on prevention. The SHIP also addresses reducing racial, ethnic, geographic, age and socioeconomic health disparities. The plan is produced by a team of public, private and voluntary sector stakeholders appointed by the director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. The current version of the State Health Improvement Plan is from 2010. In 2011, Governor Quinn appointed members to the SHIP Implementation Coordination Council (ICC), which released its preliminary action plan in January 2013. The ICC's plan, "Aligning Illinois for Health Improvement and Equity, " outlines a strategic approach to achieving the goals outlined in the SHIP through policy alignment, outreach, monitoring, and state agency coordination.

SHIP Implementation and We Choose Health

We Choose Health is an example of the type of multi-sectorial, multi-pronged approach to improving health in Illinois as envisioned in the SHIP. The work of IDPH, local Illinois communities, and other stakeholders under We Choose Health serves as an important pilot project for broader state health improvement initiatives. At the same time, the goals outlined in the SHIP guide many of the priorities brought to the forefront through We Choose Health.

The We Choose Health initiatives are focused on improving the health status of Illinoisans, with a focus on prevention. Like the SHIP priorities, the implementation of We Choose Health is designed to address racial, ethnic, geographic, and socio-economic disparities through evidence-based, coalition-driven policies and programs.

The links above provide detailed information about the SHIP, SHIP ICC, and Implementation Plan. For a broader overview, here is a presentation about SHIP delivered by Kevin Hutchison of the St. Clair County Health Department for the We Choose Health Action Institute in March, 2013.

Get Involved

The SHIP ICC holds quarterly meetings that are open to the public and announced on its website.

If you represent an organization interested in learning more about the SHIP and how you can align your work to help improve health in Illinois, please contact jasonro@uic.edu for assistance. We may be able to connect you with a speaker for an event or guide you to other resources.