Health IssuesTo better understand the health status of Arizona’s population, we partnered with the county health departments to conduct Community Health Assessments in 2014.  We used the Community Health Assessments to develop a comprehensive State Health Assessment, which became basis for putting together an Arizona Health Improvement Plan (AzHIP).

We began developing the AzHIP in late 2014 by prioritizing the 15 leading public health issues in the State Health Assessment and we’re well on our way to developing strategies to “move the needle” on the priority public health issues and to achieve improved health outcomes over the next 5 years.

The AzHIP will provide direction on how to improve the health of Arizonans in the next 5 years by aligning partnerships and resources to work collectively on shared health improvement goals and strategies.  The Arizona Health Improvement Plan (AzHIP) that we finalize and begin implementing in 2015 will include: 1) Community health priorities, objectives, strategies, measures, and time framed targets; 2) Policy changes needed to accomplish objectives; 3) Individuals and organizations responsible for implementation; and 4) Measurable health outcomes or indicators.

Using our Managing Excellence executive team, we’ll be updating our Strategic Plan and Strategic Map in early 2015, aligning our top strategic priorities with the resources needed to accomplish our objectives.