The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) is excited to announce we have published the 2019 Update to the Arizona Health Improvement Plan (AzHIP). The purpose of the AzHIP is to describe how ADHS and our community partners are working together to improve the health and wellness of all Arizonans. Receiving annual updates, the AzHIP 2016-2020 is now in the fourth year of implementation.
The 2019 Update includes the addition of a mental health section, progress on performance indicators for each health priority, and the completion status of action items. Annual progress is also updated on the Data Dashboards. The Dashboards highlight the most recent data available for each health priority as well as visual status indicators to track progress for action items.
To support this effort, ADHS and our AzHIP stakeholders collaborate to address each of the 17 health issues outlined in the Plan. Both internal and external co-chairs facilitate work groups or utilize existing coalitions dedicated to tackling each priority area. The AzHIP Steering Committee provides the guidance that helps us ensure the AzHIP reflects high impact actions to move our progress forward. To see when these groups meet, check our calendar for upcoming events.
The AzHIP was launched after the release of Arizona’s first State Health Assessment (SHA) in April 2014. Both the SHA and AzHIP are requirements for national public health accreditation, and new editions must be released every 5 years. The AzHIP 2021-2025 will be based on the data analysis of the new SHA, posted in April 2019.
As we close out the AzHIP 2016-2020, we look forward to seeing changes in our health outcomes over the next year. By bringing together partners to address these important health issues, we continue to strengthen the public health capacity and infrastructure in Arizona. We also wish to thank everyone who has participated in this process. Your contributions, time, and efforts enable us to improve the quality of life for Arizona residents.
