Health Improvement Planning

HRiA is committed to strengthening the public health system by helping public agencies, hospitals, community groups, private foundations and businesses plan policies and strategies that enhance community health status and health equity. We also work with public health programs to plan and implement organizational effectiveness and quality improvement initiatives. We help our partners:

• collect and assess both quantitative and qualitative data that meaningfully incorporate community voices and perspectives;
• develop health improvement plans that take into account specific community conditions that affect health outcomes;
• promote strategies that advance health equity;
• support development of effective organizational strategic and action plans; and
• conduct organizational self-assessments which identify opportunities for improvements.

In addition, HRiA helps state and local health departments become ready for Public Health Accreditation and pursue their quality improvement initiatives. We work with health departments and their partners to engage in multi-pronged community health assessments, and develop state and community health improvement plans (SHIPS and CHIPS). We also support local health departments that wish to share or jointly administer their core services in order to more efficiently and effectively employ the Ten Essential Public Health Services. As importantly, with strong credibility among stakeholders based on wide experience over many years, HRiA staff are effective neutral conveners, able to bring together a variety of players with different perspectives and agendas so they can cooperate in creating healthier communities.

Many resources are available to help public health agencies, and the systems in which they work, become more effective change agents. HRiA can help your state or local health agency or district prepare for accreditation and plan for systems improvements.