Michigan's 2019 SHA: Your Questions Answered

Our goal was to create a good balance between internal and external partners, as well as partners who represent different components of the public health system. Of course, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services staff are essential to this process, and there are numerous department staff invited. For a complete list, please see the Stakeholders and Sub-Committee List.

Multiple methods of data and feedback gathering will be utilized. Methods will be determined by the Themes & Strengths Sub-Committee and the Steering Committee. (Memberships for both those groups can be found on the Stakeholders and Sub-Committee List.) These methods may include:

• Focus groups;
• Key informant interviews;
• Statewide advisory groups;
• Social media, such as Facebook and Twitter;
• Website;
• Text messaging;
• Electronic survey;
• Town halls; and
• Community health assessments.

A State Health Assessment (SHA) is a collaborative, systematic process to collect, analyze, interpret, and use data to inform and mobilize communities, develop priorities, gather resources, and plan actions to improve the public’s health. A comprehensive analysis and summary of statewide health conditions and disparities, an SHA produces a baseline to assess the current health of Michiganders to guide a State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP).

The final product will be a living document that will exist on the State of Michigan website. It will describe the health of the population and identify areas for improvement, contributing factors that impact health outcomes, and assets and resources that can be mobilized to improve population health.

The SHA is a requirement of the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) and is the first step taken by the MDHHS Public Health Administration to achieve national accreditation. The PHAB requires ongoing monitoring, refreshing, and adding of data and data analysis of the SHA.

Yes. The website, which is hosted by MDHHS, is located at 

https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/doing-business/state-health-assessment

The Stakeholders and Sub-Committee List includes all current participants in the Michigan SHA process and is updated regularly.

The Community Themes & Strengths Assessment is designed to gather input from community members. Through it, features of the community that support health and that put health at risk will be identified, as will health needs and concerns.

Please see the Stakeholders and Sub-Committee List for a current Steering Committee roster.

Stakeholder and sub-committee meeting dates and details can be found on the online Michigan SHA calendar.

We will be inviting community member input during the Community Themes & Strengths Assessment. This assessment examines qualitative information about health assets and issues that are important to the state’s population. Stakeholders may be asked to contribute to data collection with specific populations or to facilitate relationship development for data collection with specific populations.

MDHHS leadership, the Michigan SHA Steering Committee, and the Michigan SHA Stakeholder Group have all expressed strong commitments to focusing this assessment on addressing health inequities and the multiple forms of oppression that drive inequities. As such, we share responsibility for noticing and questioning the biases that inform how we define and solve public health problems. Your question challenges us to consider how to make addressing implicit bias an intentional and planned part of this process.

We have a robust and diverse group of stakeholders with talent, passion and expertise to guide this work. If you think there is a gap in the Stakeholder group and you have a suggested participant, please contact MDHHS Accreditation and Performance Improvement Consultant Jennifer Schuette at SchuetteJ@michigan.gov with the individual’s name, email, and organization, so that we can extend an invitation to them.

Given the magnitude of the opioid epidemic, it is possible this will arise as a priority based on data collected and stakeholder input. An MDHHS expert in syringe access is a part of the stakeholder group and will provide subject matter expertise as needed.

The purpose of the Michigan SHA is to describe the health status of state residents, identify areas for health improvement, determine the factors contributing to poor health outcomes, and define assets and resources that can be used to achieve overall health goals. Following the SHA, a State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP), a multi-year strategic plan, will begin. Through the SHIP, MDHHS and public health system partners will work to achieve the vision for the health of Michiganders.

Contact MDHHS Accreditation and Performance Improvement Consultant Jennifer Schuette at SchuetteJ@michigan.gov.