PHPP Strategic Direction

Public Health, Policy & Planning (PHPP) is conducting a process to produce a Community Health Assessment (CHA) and Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) focused on improving health outcomes in San Mateo County. We are hosting community forums in English and Spanish during September and October to share findings and gather input from the public.

Please join us at one of our CHA Community Forums listed below to help us identify priority health needs for San Mateo County. Participating community members will be compensated for their input and time and food will be offered at the events.

What is a Community Health Assessment (CHA)?

The Community Health Assessment (CHA) is a report that highlights data gathered on the health status of San Mateo County residents. For San Mateo County, most data in the CHA comes from the Health and Quality of Life survey. This survey is important because it is not limited to physical health measures but also captures information on factors that influence health. The factors include, but are not limited to: affordable housing, childcare, education, employment, air and water quality, civic participation, neighborhood safety, access to health care services, physical activity, etc.

Why is the CHA important?

The data reported in the CHA will be used to identify health needs and priorities. The survey collected data from over 3,000 adults and included over sampling of key populations (for example, Latinos, African Americans, Pacific Islander, LGBTQ+ individuals, low-income populations, and individuals from the coast). The data set is more comprehensive than other sources of data for San Mateo County; therefore, it is an excellent source of information to make data-driven decisions. The CHA is part of a broader community engagement process to identify and implement health improvement activities.

Why should I attend the CHA Community Forum?

You should attend the forum to provide input on your community’s health needs and priorities. This is the first step in developing the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). It is important to have a strong community voice in this planning process. This also provides the opportunity to hear directly from community members on health needs that might not be highlighted in the CHA that should be considered in developing the CHIP. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I go to more than one CHA Community Forum?

No, the forums are being repeated in different areas of the county to make it easy for people to attend. The information and process for getting feedback will be the same at each forum, so there is no need to attend more than one.

What should I expect at the CHA Community Forum?

You should expect the following:

• An overview and summary of data from the Health and Quality of Life Survey and other sources
• An opportunity to share information about your health or the health of your community that may not have been highlighted in the data.
• You will be asked to choose health needs that should be the priority focus for health improvement for the next three years.

Dinner will be provided at the forum, and community members will be given a $25 gift card for their participation.

What will happen after the CHA Community Forums?

After the community forums, the information and health priority recommendations shared at all forums will be compiled to determine health priorities for the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). A Community Health Improvement Plan kick-off meeting will be held to review the priorities identified at the CHA forums and determine three health priorities for the Community Health Improvement Plan.

What is the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP)?

The Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) outlines key objectives and strategies to address determinants of health that will lead to improvements in health outcomes. It serves as a roadmap for improving population health and keeping community health planning visible to decision-makers and community members. It lays out the strategic effort to address health issues based on data results of the CHA and the CHA Community Forums.

Why is the CHIP important?

The CHIP is intended to be a partnership between Public Health, Policy & Planning (PHPP) and community stakeholders. It is critical to addressing health needs identified in the CHA. The priorities, goals, objectives, and strategies developed are determined with community input. The CHIP increases community collaboration and strengthens partnerships to address health needs.

Goals

The goals for this process include:

• Developing and improving engagement with community members to identify and guide health priorities
• Communicating and seeking feedback on the strategic planning process from internal and external partners 
• Creating an actionable strategic plan that will lead to improved health outcomes 
• Establishing a meaningful partnership with community for strategic planning and shared decision-making 

Process

PHPP has a three-step process to develop the PHPP strategic direction for the next three years.  Those steps include: 

Community Health Assessment (CHA) – Step One:

The CHA was developed using the Health and Quality of Life survey. Over 3,000 San Mateo County adults completed the survey with over sampling of key populations (for example, Latinos, African Americans, Pacific Islander, LGBTQ+ individuals, low-income populations, and individuals from the coast). The data set is more comprehensive than other sources of data for San Mateo County. PHPP will present a summary of the CHA data that highlights San Mateo County’s health status and needs to seek community feedback. Six CHA Community Forums will be held throughout the county (four English and two Spanish) to gather community feedback on the data. This is also an opportunity for community members to share their experience related to health needs that are included in the CHA data. 

Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) – Step Two:

In collaboration with community members, community partners organizations, and PHPP staff, the CHIP will highlight prioritized health concerns and outline strategies for health improvement action. The CHIP will consist of a virtual prioritization session that will result in no more than three health priorities. Workshops will be held for each identified health priority. The workshops will result in the development of goals, objectives, and strategies for each health priority. Once the priorities are identified, a CHIP steering committee will be developed to help in the development of the CHIP. The committee will consist of subject matter experts on the health priorities identified, community stakeholders, and PHPP staff.  A CHIP implementation plan will be developed to monitor, review, and update progress on the CHIP goals with community stakeholders. 

PHPP Strategic Plan – Step Three:

The PHPP Strategic Plan is an internal plan that is guided by community input through the CHA and CHIP. The CHIP will most likely include health priorities that are not under the direct scope of PHPP programs (i.e., mental health, maternal and child health, older adult health, etc.). Therefore, the CHIP will be considered in providing context for overall health improvement whereas, the PHPP strategic plan will serve as our operational workplan. The strategic plan will outline PHPP’s mission, vision, and values. It will also consist of PHPP priorities, goals, and strategies specific to the work and scope of the division’s programs.  The plan is intended to engage all levels of PHPP for input, feedback, and plan development. The plan will be developed utilizing multiple opportunities for input including but not limited to an in-person kick off session, key informant interviews, virtual listening sessions, and a staff survey. Once the plan is developed a schedule will be created to monitor, review, and share progress on the PHPP plan as well as make adjustments to the plan goals and objectives as needed. 

Timeline

Proposed timeline of PHPP Strategic Direction activities can be found below:

Step One	CHA Community Forum	Sept. – Oct. 2023
Step Two	CHIP Development	Oct. 2023 – Feb. 2024
Step Three	PHPP Strategic Plan Development	Feb. 2024– Jan. 2025
Step Four	CHIP Implementation and Updates	Feb. 2024 – Jan. 2026
Step Five	PHPP Strategic Plan Implementation and Updates	Jan. 2025 – Jan. 2027

Past Meetings

At the September 12, 2023 CHA Forum, Community Members, San Mateo County Health Public Health, Policy & Planning (PHPP) in partnership with Bay Area Community Health Advisory Council (BACHAC) came together to discuss the health needs those living in San Mateo County. Twelve (12) community members attended and indicated the following key health need highlights: 

• The need to address food insecurity
• Improved access to supportive services for vulnerable populations including older adults
• Housing needs

The following areas were identified as priorities for the community:

• Income & Employment
• Access to Health Care
• Housing & Homelessness

Be sure to be the voice of your community and stay tuned to see the results from upcoming forums!