What is the CHIP Healthy People 2020 initiative?

In 2001, the CHIP Leadership Group endorsed the national Healthy People 2020 Leading Health Indicators initiative. The Leading Health Indicators are ten indicators that as a group reflect the major health concerns in the U.S. in the beginning of the 21st century.

The six issues currently being addressed by CHIP are: overweight and obesity, physical activity, adult immunizations, access to health care, tobacco use prevention and mental health.

Why is this important to Douglas County?

The Healthy People 2010 Leading Health Indicators are underlying causes for the major causes of death in Douglas County.

As an example, if CHIP can reach indicator issue goals like increasing physical activity, then fewer people will suffer from health problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure; and eventually Douglas County will have fewer people dying from heart disease, cancer and other major causes of death.

CHIP’s goals are in line with the state’s Healthy Kansas program that encourages people to be active, eat right and avoid tobacco.

CHIP's goal

To be advocates for using the community health improvement process, mentors in combining community resources, and stewards in efforts to improve the health of Douglas County.

What Are the Leading Health Indicators?

The Leading Health Indicators will be used to measure the health of the Nation over the next 10 years. Each of the 10 Leading Health Indicators has one or more objectives from Healthy People 2010 associated with it. As a group, the Leading Health Indicators reflect the major health concerns in the United States at the beginning of the 21st century.

The Leading Health Indicators were selected by a work group led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on the basis of their ability to motivate action, the availability of data to measure progress, and their importance as public health issues.

The Leading Health Indicators are:

• Physical Activity
• Overweight and Obesity
• Tobacco Use
• Substance Abuse
• Responsible Sexual Behavior
• Mental Health
• Injury and Violence
• Environmental Quality
• Immunization
• Access to Health Care