SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), in conjunction with the State Board of Health (SBOH), will hold a series of virtual public hearings November 28-30, 2023, to seek public comment on the State Health Assessment (SHA) and the State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP).
Those two documents are major components of “Healthy Illinois 2028,” a statewide five-year plan to improve the health of Illinois by addressing the priority public health issues of our communities.
The SHA and SHIP assess current health needs in Illinois and map out strategies to address those needs. Participants in the virtual public hearings will be able to offer their perspective on the most significant public health issues in the state, including: chronic disease; maternal and infant health; COVID-19 and emerging illnesses; mental health/substance use disorder; and racism as a public health crisis.
The meetings will be held November 28-30 from 1 to 4 p.m. each day, via Zoom link. Advance registration is required for participation.
You can sign up at http://bit.ly/m/SHIP2028 . Draft versions of the SHA and SHIP can be viewed at http://dph.illinois.gov/healthy-illinois-report , beginning at least one week prior to the first hearing.
The comments gathered during the virtual meeting or in writing will be taken into consideration in developing the final version of the documents, which will be presented to the Illinois General Assembly no later than December 31, 2023.
Other partners in the SHA and SHIP are the Illinois Public Health Institute and the University of Illinois Chicago Policy, Practice, and Research Center.