Better Health Partnership to Serve as Backbone Organization for Cuyahoga CHIP

Hospitals and health departments across the nation conduct community health planning to identify key health priorities and develop strategies to address those needs. This work is formally documented by certain partners in a Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) – which serves as a long-term roadmap for community health improvement. The CHIP builds strategies for prioritized health needs identified in the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), sometimes referred to as a Community Health Assessment (CHA).

In Cuyahoga County, the Cuyahoga County Board of Health (CCBH) has had a long and rich history of serving as the backbone organization for various aspects of community health planning in the county, including overseeing the development of the Cuyahoga County CHNA/CHIP. This important work has been challenging, rewarding and inspiring and requires a significant lift from a backbone organization. CCBH has determined that it is time to transition the Cuyahoga County CHIP work to a new backbone organization – Better Health Partnership. In this role, BHP will leverage its capabilities to coordinate, convene, and support CHIP subcommittees, provide compliance guidance, help assess and report progress, and provide evaluation support.

The following CHIP subcommittees have formed (including organizations to lead the work) to address the key priorities and the overarching focal areas identified in the 2022 Cuyahoga CHNA:

• Accessible and Affordable Healthcare (BHP)
• Behavioral Health (BHP)
• Community Conditions: Access to Healthy Food (Case Western Reserve University - Swetland Center and CCBH)
• Community Conditions: Community Safety (CCBH)
• Eliminating Structural Racism (Cleveland Department of Public Health and PolicyBridge)

To learn more, email Kirstin Craciun, BHP’s Director of Health Equity and Stakeholder Engagement at: kcraciun@metrohealth.org.