Nebraska’s health system is changing with an increased focus on improving patient and population health outcomes. It is recommended that the public health system, the primary care system and other health systems establish connections and interweave partnerships for a solid foundation of standards and practices for individual and population health.

The SHIP priority selection process during 2016 included brainstorming about what actions might be considered for each priority. Participants offered initial recommendations for action:

• Efforts to consider might focus around developing a statewide framework for integration and potential supporting policy; establishing a collaborative research agenda between public health and primary care; supporting a database that tracks initiatives and developed models; providing education to primary care about the role of public health and mechanisms to integrate; and supporting linkages for sharing health data and Nebraska Health Information Initiative (NeHII) efforts.

In January and February of 2017, each Priority hosted kick off meetings in which stakeholders began to define success, discuss direction and choose goals. Full action plans are expected to be developed by late summer 2017.