Although many plans exist in Delaware that aim to improve the health of Delawareans, the state has neither a comprehensive plan nor a single group that oversees how plans are being coordinated and monitored. Acknowledging that there are many determinants of health, even Delaware’s robust planning as required by the federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid State Innovation Model is only a partial response to what is necessary to improve the health of Delawareans. For this reason, the Division of Public Health initiated a State Health Improvement Process.

The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) defines a State Health Improvement Process as the following:

A comprehensive approach to assessing state health and developing and implementing action-plans to improve state health through substantive community member ... engagement. The state health improvement process yields two distinct yet connected deliverables: a State Health Assessment (SHA) presented in the form of a State Health Profile (SHP) and a State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP).

As evidenced by this definition and other details outlined by NACCHO, the State Health Improvement Process is a sequential process involving a State Health Assessment (SHA), a State Health Profile (SHP), and ultimately, a State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP).

Figure 1 provides a conceptual framework for the State Health Improvement Process.

To complete the State Health Improvement Process, the Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) was chosen as an improvement-planning model. The NACCHO website meticulously explains this model in the context of evaluating and enhancing community health. Table 1 aligns the State Health Improvement Process components, the six MAPP steps, and the status of completion as of May 31, 2013.

Table 1. State Health Improvement Process Components, MAPP Steps, and Status.

Links to additional information:

• Delaware State Health Improvement Plan 2019 Annual Report   NEW!
• Summary of Delaware State Health Needs Assessment and Delaware State Health Improvement Plan Recommendations Report 2017
• The First Delaware State Health Improvement Plan
• Companion Documents
• The State Health Improvement Plan Steering Committee
• Delaware SHIP webpage

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