Publication of Arizona’s very first State Health Assessment is just around the corner  The 2013 Arizona State Health Assessment will use AZ quantitative and qualitative data to assess the public health status of the state.  The end product will be a comprehensive summary of the 15 leading health issues that have the greatest impact in Arizona. 

Over 10,000 community members participated across the state in helping provide valuable input.  Our county health departments did the heavy lifting and engaged the public and their local partners to develop county level community health assessments. Primary data was collected through local community participation in surveys, focus groups and strategy meetings to establish local priorities and really capture the community’s concerns.  Secondary data from public data banks such as hospital discharge data, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, and the disease registries was also part of the analysis. 

The State Health Assessment uses a combination of the Community Health Status Indicator Project and the Healthy People 2020 Mobilize, Assess, Plan, Implement, Track Models. The 15 leading health issues identified in the Assessment were compiled from county and state priority rankings. Each indicator is summarized for its significance and scope, trending over the past few years, and comparative analysis against national data.  

The 15 priority health issues that’ll be identified in the Report are (in no particular order): obesity, tobacco use, substance abuse, healthcare associated infections, suicides, teen pregnancy, creating healthy communities, behavioral health services, diabetes, heart disease, other chronic diseases (cancer, respiratory disease, asthma), accidents and injuries, oral health, access to well care, and access to health insurance. 

The State Health Assessment will provide the starting point for our first ever State Health Improvement Plan in 2014… which will outline actionable and specific strategies, tactics and interventions for improving population health.  The Improvement Plan will provide a roadmap for Arizona policy makers at the state, county and local level as well as our partners in the private sector to take serious concrete steps to improve population health outcomes while reducing health care costs in AZ.