A Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) is a systemic way of identifying the needs, priorities, and resources of a community, resulting in strategies to address priority areas. A well-done CHIP is both a product (the plan) and a process (enhancing capacity/assets). A well-done CHIP can:

• Quantify problems
• Establish community priorities
• Increase partnership and collaboration
• Obtain additional resources
• Provide service to community 
• Inform decision-making
• Define target populations
• Initiate proactive responses
• Improve public health policies and infrastructure
• Increase community awareness of issues
• Evaluate effectiveness of community interventions

National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) developed the Mobilizing Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) tool which guides community health planning processes.  The MAPP tool brings together four assessments (Community Themes and Strengths, Local Public Health Systems, Community Health Status and Forces of Change assessments). Data and results from these assessments are used to develop a community strategic plan.
In April 2011, Mason Matters convened an Ad Hoc committee of over 30 dedicated community members to lead this CHIP process. The Mason County Community Health Assessment was completed in 2013. The committee then restructured and became the CHIP Partnership to continue the CHIP process of strategic planning. Strategic planning is driven by data from the health assessment and principles of collective impact. The work done by the CHIP Partnership laid the foundation for the larger community initiative, Moving Mason Forward. The community-wide effort to address Mason County’s seven priority areas is now an integrated, joint process shared by Moving Mason Forward and the CHIP Partnership.
To learn more about the Community Health Improvement Plan and Moving Mason Forward, contact Community and Family Health manager, Lydia Buchheit, at (360) 427-9670 ext. 404.