Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP)

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CHIP - Community Health Improvement Plan

About CHIP

A Community Health Improvement Plan or CHIP is a strategic plan for the community to systematically identify priority health issues, and write a plan with community partners to improve health. Marion County Health and Human Services first convened partners to develop a CHIP in 2011. Since then, MCHHS Public Health Division has continued to build relationships with partners to continue community health improvement planning work. The CHIP partnership has changed over time, but it consistently brings the health department, local hospital systems, and other community partners together to collectively impact health issues as prioritized by the community. Our hope is that by addressing these health issues as a community we can make lasting, long-term improvements in the health of our residents.

CHIP Vision

A diverse and inclusive community with a physical environment that facilitates optimal physical and social health, infrastructure that supports economic growth and stability, and an integrated health care system that promotes equitable access to whole person care. - Adopted 2018

CHIP Mission

To maintain a partnership that achieves collective impact on improving the health of our community through:

Oversight and monitoring of a county-wide strategic action plan;
Promotion of community and organizational policies to improve CHIP health priorities; and
Coordination with priority area-specifc workgroups convened by CHIP and other community partners.

CHIP Structure

During the year-long Community Health Assessment (CHA) process, completed with the MAPP Framework, Marion and Polk Counties idenitifed three priority health issues that will be the focus of the next CHIP:

Behavioral Health
Substance Use
Housing

The Core Executive Committee and Steering Committee provided input during hte CHA and continue to oversee the CHIP process. Members include:

Core Executive Committee: Marion County Health & Human Services, Polk County Health Services, Legacy Silverton, Santiam Hospital, Salem Health, Kaiser Permanente, Willamette Health Council, PacificSource Marion-Polk Coordinated Care Organization

Steering Committee: Local agencies, organizations, and non-profits

Current CHIP Progress

The new Marion-Polk County CHIP is in production. Originally, the counties intended to write a new CHIP in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed this work. In October 2020, Marion County Public Health Division restarted CHIP activities and organized Priority Area Work Groups to write the CHIP.

In December 2020, 54 Work Group members representing organizations across Marion and Polk Counties convened for orientation sessions to learn about the Marion-Polk County CHIP. Work Groups met for work sessions in January and February of 2021 to start writing goals, strategies, and population health outcome measures for the CHIP to address behavioral health, substance use, and housing as health issues in our community. The CHIP remains a work in progress.

If you are interested in participating in the Marion-Polk CHIP process, please contact: mchdprevention@co.marion.or.us.