State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP)

Implementation

As mandated by statute, the State of Illinois regularly produces a State Health Improvement Plan 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 available is the 2010 State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP period 2010-2015). 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.

The 2010 State Health Improvement Plan Priority Health Area Indicators document was published in fall 2014. The indicators presented in the document are primarily used to inform decision-makers and stakeholders about progress and obstacles related to the priority health concerns outlined in the State Health Improvement Plan.

First, these measures and the state’s performance will inform the planning process that will result in a new 2021 SHIP (note: the new SHIP will be named to represent the target date, rather than the year published) to be published in 2016. Through examination of these measures, planners will decide which of the identified priorities require additional focus during the 2021 SHIP period (2016-2021), and where resources should be concentrated.

For more information, please visit: www.healthycommunities.illinois.gov.

SHIP Implementation and We Choose Health

We Choose Health was 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 guided many of the priorities brought to the forefront through We Choose Health.

The We Choose Health initiatives were focused on improving the health status of Illinoisans, with a focus on prevention. Like the SHIP priorities, the implementation of We Choose Health was 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.

SHIP Video Challenge

The Illinois Department of Public Health, in collaboration with the State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) Implementation Coordination Council, is pleased to announce the 2014 SHIP Video Challenge, a video driven grant competition to help spread the word about the State Health Improvement Plan and implementation across Illinois. Through this grant program, individual members of the public and organizations are invited to help get the word out about the Illinois SHIP through compelling stories presented through video, and to compete for mini-grant awards to help organizations continue their alignment with SHIP.

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 leticia.reyes@illinois.gov for assistance. We may be able to connect you with a speaker for an event or guide you to other resources.