Shawnee County Community Health Improvement Plan

The Community Health Improvement Plan is a strategic plan that guides how we, as a community, address our top health challenges. Based on local data from the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), the priority areas include: Behavioral Health (Mental Health and Substance Use) Neighborhood Safety and Housing Healthy Eating Options Health Equity (including disparities related to sexually transmitted infections and infant mortality)

A Community Health Improvement Plan is a long-term systematic effort to address public health problems based on the results of community health needs assessment activities and the community health improvement process. A plan is typically updated every three to five years. (from the CDC).

The Shawnee County CHIP is updated every three years and is utilized by some LiveWell Shawnee County partners in their respective organizational accreditations.

Shawnee County’s CHIP is focused on four priorities chosen through data and community feedback:

Behavioral Health
(Mental health and substance use challenges)

Food Access
(Access to nutritious, affordable food for all)

Health Equity
(Addressing obesity, maternal health, sexually transmitted infections)

Neighborhood Safety & Housing
(Because where you live impacts how you live)

The CHIP guides the work of our seven Impact Teams. LiveWell Shawnee County is the implementation arm of the CHIP. LiveWell’s work is guided by the goals, objectives and intervention strategies written into the CHIP.

In Shawnee County, in the 2024 Community Health Needs Survey, nearly 1,000 people named mental health as their top concern, making it the county’s number one priority. The CHIP prioritizes improving access to care, reducing stigma, and strengthening support systems.

Where we are affects how we live. From safe streets to stable housing, our environment plays a major role in health. In Shawnee County, In 2023, Shawnee County had 34 homicides—nearly 1 in 3 victims were under 18, and 60% involved firearms. The CHIP includes community-driven strategies to create safer, more stable neighborhoods for all.

In Shawnee County the food insecurity rate is 13.3%, which is higher than the state average of 12.7%. The CHIP supports expanding access to affordable, nutritious food through local partnerships and systems change. Every family should be able to put fresh, healthy meals on the table.

Not everyone in Shawnee County has the same opportunity to live a healthy life. Health equity means recognizing and addressing those gaps. In Shawnee County the high infant mortality rate disproportionately affects the Black and Hispanic communities at an alarming rate. The CHIP names equity as a cross-cutting priority—because justice needs to be part of every solution.