• About Us
• CHIP
  • CHIP, CHAT & Priority Areas
  • Access to Care
    • Workgroup History
    • Action Plan (pdf 314kb)
  • Behavioral Health
    • Workgroup History
    • Action Plan (pdf 268kb)
  • Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
    • Workgroup History
    • Action Plan (pdf 362kb)
  • Healthy Communities and Environments
    • Workgroup History
    • Action Plan (pdf 306kb)
• Measuring Progress
  • Action Plans, Strategies & Status Reports
  • Access to Care
  • Behavioral Health
  • Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
  • Healthy Communities and Environments
• Data & Reports
• Resources
• News
• Contact Us

The Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) is a long-term systemic plan that links assessment and action, defining how DOH-Pinellas and partnering community stakeholders will address public health problems and social and economic barriers to health within Pinellas County. The Community Health Action Team (CHAT) determines the CHIP's goals, strategies, and activities and assigns organizational accountability to ensure progress toward these goals. Although various tools and processes may be used to implement a CHIP, the essential ingredients are community engagement and collaborative participation. The 2023 - 2028 Pinellas County CHIP has three priority areas overseen by the CHAT. Read more below.

	CHAT is the working group of DOH-Pinellas and community stakeholders collaborating to develop, implement, and monitor the CHIP. CHAT is made up of representatives from diverse community partners such as state and local government agencies, healthcare providers, local businesses, community groups, universities and school systems, non-profit organizations, advocacy groups, and a coalition of faith leaders, working together to address health problems and health disparities in Pinellas County. The CHAT group meets quarterly to develop and share updates regarding health priority areas, goals, strategies, and objectives for the CHIP. CHAT members are also tasked with choosing appropriate action plans and assigning the responsible agencies who implement and monitor the objectives.
Three work teams convened to develop action plans to address the health priority areas established by CHAT.
	It is essential to measure and improve access to care. Barriers to healthcare access are often directly linked to poor health outcomes. Also, when it is challenging to get routine medical care because of cost, transportation, language barriers, or other reasons, problems not caught early can result in life-threatening situations that require immediate attention, endangering lives and putting a strain on emergency services.
	Mental health disorders can have a powerful effect on the health of individuals, their families, and their communities. Prevention and intervention strategies may reduce the impact of mental health disorders and are essential for length and quality of life. The misuse of alcohol, over-the-counter medications, illicit drugs, and tobacco affects the health and well-being of millions of Americans. It is also a predictor of chronic disease and can sometimes increase the risk of someone contracting an infectious disease.
	Health behaviors significantly affect the development of both acute and chronic diseases. Sedentary lifestyles, poor nutrition habits, and neglecting medical care are behaviors that can lead to preventable negative health outcomes. Health disparities can be striking in communities with various potentially negative factors such as unstable housing, unsafe neighborhoods, low income, etc. Therefore, it is important to focus efforts where community needs are most needed.