Public Health Madison & Dane County

Community Health Assessment (CHA) & Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP)

Poppy flowers in a field with a clear blue sky in the background.

What are the CHA & CHIP?

The Community Health Assessment (CHA) and Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) are core public health responsibilities defined by state law and national standards. The CHA identifies the most pressing health needs in Dane County. The CHIP outlines shared strategies for addressing those needs over the next five years.

This cycle, we aligned closely with the Healthy Dane CHA (2025–2027) conducted by local health systems to strengthen coordination and reduce duplication. This alignment allows us to share priority areas, leverage common data sources, and coordinate efforts to strengthen impact across Dane County.

Healthy Dane -- Data Dashboard

2025-2027 Dane County CHA

Learn more about our 2025-2029 CHIP

Our Process

  1. Community Health Assessment

    • Developed data collection instruments and modes of distribution.
    • Gathered and analyzed secondary data.
    • Stakeholder engagement through surveys, focus groups, and community conversations.
    • Synthesized community input.

  2. Priority Setting

    • Prioritization process conducted to select priority health areas.
    • Conducted an environmental scan collecting relevant areas of opportunities, inequities, and disparities for each of the priority areas.
    • Identification of cross-cutting themes.
    • CHA report finalized, approved by necessary Boards, and disseminated.

  3. Community Health Improvement Plan

    • Identify objectives and strategies for each priority area.
    • Develop implementation plan.
    • Track progress throughout.
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