What is SHIP?
We’ve heard it before, exercise, eat right, and don’t use tobacco and we will feel better. It’s hard to find the motivation to make healthy choices. Often, our daily lives and environment make it even harder.
The Statewide Health Improvement Program, also known as SHIP is here! This program’s goal is to help Minnesotans live longer, better, healthier lives by reducing the burden of chronic diseases by addressing physical inactivity, poor nutrition, and tobacco use.
SHIP was signed into Minnesota law in 2008 as an integral component of Health Care Reform. SHIP is designed to reduce health care costs in the long term by preventing people from getting avoidable chronic conditions in the first place.
Steele County Public Health, along with eight other southeastern Minnesota counties (Dodge, Freeborn, Mower, Houston, Fillmore, Winona, Wabasha, and Goodhue), received state funds to use evidence-based interventions to improve the health of county residents.
Steele County Public Health, the Steele County community wellness coalition and the eight other southeastern Minnesota counties determined the focus for our region. They chose four interventions that focus on policy, systems and environmental (PSE) changes designed to make the healthiest choice be the easiest choice. The interventions focus on four settings – schools, communities, worksites and health care settings.
“The current generation of children is the first generation in two centuries that may have a shorter life expectancy than their parents”, Steele County Public Health director Dee Ann Pettyjohn said. “This CANNOT continue. SHIP is intended to reduce obesity and tobacco use, two of the contributing factors of this outrageous fact, in Minnesota through policy, systems, and environmental changes. We MUST act and I encourage all Steele County citizens to come aboard”.
For more information on SHIP go to: http://www.health.state.mn.us/healthreform/ship/index.html. To join the local SHIP leadership team and help implement interventions, please contact Jane at 507-444-7661 or jane.nyquist@co.steele.mn.us.
What is “Policy Systems or Environmental” Change?
- Policy interventions may be a law, ordinance, resolution, mandate, regulation, or rule (both formal and informal).
- Systems interventions are changes that impact all elements of an organization, institution, or system.
- Environmental interventions involve physical or material changes to the economic, social, or physical environment.
The four target areas and interventions for healthy living are:
Schools
Implement comprehensive nutrition policies including breakfast promotion; healthy lunch and snacks (including classroom celebrations and incentives, fundraising, concessions and vending); school gardens; and farm-to-school initiatives.
SHIP and Schools Fact Sheet
Communities
Implement policies and practices that create active communities by increasing opportunities for non-motorized transportation and access to community recreation facilities.
SHIP and Community Fact Sheet
Worksites
Implement a comprehensive employee wellness initiative that provides health assessment with follow-up coaching, ongoing health education, and policies and environmental supports that promote healthy weight and healthy behaviors.
SHIP and Worksites Fact Sheet
Health Care
Develop relationships among health care providers and community leaders and build partnerships to facilitate active referral of patients to local resources that increase access to high-quality nutritious foods, opportunities for physical activity, and tobacco use cessation.
SHIP and Health Care Fact Sheet |
