The Southeast Health District 2019 Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) was developed in partnership by the Southeast District Health Department (SEDHD) and the district’s six not-for-profit hospitals – Johnson County Hospital, Nemaha County Hospital, CHI St. Mary’s, Syracuse Area Health, Pawnee County Memorial Hospital, and Community Medical Center – plus various other community partners and agencies. The CHIP addresses health concerns in the five-county district of Johnson, Nemaha, Otoe, Pawnee, and Richardson Counties. As the Chief Health Strategist—who convenes coalitions that investigate and act to make meaningful progress on complex health community issues1— for the district, the SEDHD conducts a Community Health Assessment (CHA) and CHIP in collaboration with the not-for-profit hospitals every three years. To maintain their tax-exempt status, hospitals are required to conduct a health assessment every three years. SEDHD conducts a health assessment, at minimum, every five years to be eligible for public health accreditation. This CHIP is the shared vision of the public health system partners within the Southeast Health District. The goals and strategies in this CHIP align with local, state, and national priorities in order to keep pace with emerging public health challenges, to address leading causes of morbidity and mortality, and to improve and protect the health of populations within the Southeast Health District. This document provides 1) an overview of the district’s health indicators (including data by county when available) and 2) a road map on how to improve the top health concerns in the district over the next three years.
