Community Assessments and Improvement Plans

Local health departments are required by Wisconsin Statutes Ch. 251.05 to conduct a community health needs assessment (CHA) and develop a community health improvement plan (CHIP) every five years.  

Since 1993, Wisconsin State Statutes have required communities throughout Wisconsin to develop and implement local health plans to address health conditions affecting their residents. This process has been referred to as the "Community Health Improvement Process," named partly due to the resulting health status changes in a community and the people who live there.

Local health departments are required by Wis. Stat. ch. 251.05 to:

• Regularly and systematically collect, assemble, analyze, and make available information on the health of the community; including statistics on health status, community health needs, and epidemiological and other studies of health problems.

• Develop public health policies and procedures for the community.

• Involve key policymakers and the general public in determining and developing a community health improvement plan that includes actions to implement the services and functions specified under Wis Stat. § 250.

• Submit data, as requested, to the local public health data system established by the department.

Additional requirements in community health assessments and planning are found in Wis. Admin. Code ch. DHS 140.04.

Please click the links below for current and previous CHA & CHIPs.