KDHE Honored by Health Officials from Across the Nation

The National Association of State and Territorial Health Officials has awarded its Vision Award to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). The award recognizes excellence in public health through innovation. KDHE was honored for developing and implementing the Community Health Assessment Process (CHAP).

CHAP was developed by KDHE's Bureau of Local and Rural Health Systems. It is a process that encourages community members to assess, plan and implement local health activities that improve the health of the entire community. The process is based on the premise that community-based actions are the most successful and most rational expenditure of a community's assets. The overall goal is to promote and improve public health within a community.

"KDHE cannot claim full credit for the success of CHAP," said Dr. Steven R. Potsic, Director of the Division of Health at KDHE. "This process relies heavily on partnerships, cooperation, and local focus."

Initial partners in the CHAP effort were the Kansas Association of Local Health Departments and the Kansas Hospital Association. Private funding and local grant support was provided by the Kansas Health Foundation. Public and private organizations in each community pooled resources and formed community teams. These teams then went about the work of assessing the health care needs in their local areas.

Currently, 37 Kansas counties have initiated community health assessments. Local participants have targeted a variety of issues for action or further study, including tobacco use, violence, teen pregnancy and injury prevention.