Community Health Improvement Plan 2021-2023

A community health improvement plan (or CHIP) is a multi-year plan that outlines collective efforts to address public health problems based on the results of the community health assessment (CHA). This plan is used by health and other government and human service agencies, in collaboration with community partners, to set priorities and coordinate resources. A CHIP is critical for developing policies and defining actions to target efforts that promote health. It should define the vision for the health of the community through a collaborative process and should address the strengths, weaknesses, challenges, and opportunities that exist in the community to improve the health.

 In 2021, public health and data experts from Buncombe County Public Health, along the Community Health Advisory Council came together to analyze all of the primary and secondary data collected from the Buncombe County 2021 Community Health Assessment (CHA). With the additional help from a diverse team of community leaders and advisors from the Buncombe County Community Health Improvement Process (CHIP) Advisory Board, Buncombe County has identified the health focus conditions that we can improve -- if we work together.

The Buncombe County CHIP Advisory, consisting of over 40 community leaders, reviewed the areas of concern and made tough decisions to select health focus conditions based on the most concerning health problems that we think we can work together to improve. The health focus conditions were selected by reviewing the needs assessment results with the following criteria:

• Relevance – Examined the severity, urgency, connection to other health issues and whether the disease affects people equally
• Impact - looked at availability of solutions and proven strategies that improve conditions, opportunities to build on current momentum to make health improvements and significance of consequences if we didn’t focus on the issue right now
• Feasible – Identified whether there were resources and community will to successfully work together to make improvements

This Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) has been developed in collaboration with Buncombe County’s Community Health Improvement Process (CHIP) Advisory Council, at-large community members, the WNC Health Network, and Buncombe County Health and Human Services. In alignment with the Advisory's vision, mission, and values, the 2022 CHIP identifies key health needs for focused intervention, and centers on the root causes of health disparities in our community: systemic racism, oppression of marginalized people, and trauma.

The Buncombe County Health Promotions Team wishes to thank the members of the CHIP Advisory Council, WNC Health Network, and key community partners for their contributions and support, without which this community health assessment and health improvement process/plan is not possible. CHIP Advisory Council members are transformational and servant leaders whose passion and dedication drive so much of what is helping Buncombe County become a community where everyone is healthy, safe, and thriving. 

The 2021 CHA and 2022 CHIP are dedicated to Buncombe County residents, especially those who are too often overlooked and unserved. It is our expressed purpose to name the inequities that you experience so that commensurate care and resources are allocated to your needs.