Four years ago, we started an effort to learn about how Mississippians perceive our state’s health. That effort led to more than 19,000 surveys being conducted, and the results assembled as the State Health Assessment and State Health Improvement Plan, and sharing that information through the brand UProot.
Our four priorities — increasing educational attainment, creating a culture of health, reducing the rate of chronic disease, and improving infant health — and their corresponding workgroups are the result of that work. Now, UProot is working to update the SHA to reflect any changes that have occurred over the past four years in regard to public health.
The State Health Assessment focused on health in our state and our community. Community input is an essential part of the process to understand the community health strengths and needs as well as ideas for improving the health of the community. We conduct this survey in order to evaluate the health issues facing Mississippi so that we can develop a state health improvement plan.
So far, we’ve conducted 27 listening sessions across the state, seeking honest answers from the public about health. In order to paint a complete picture of the state’s health needs and aspirations, we need to hear from as many people as possible. You can help online as well!
Please take the time to complete the Community Input Survey for the State Health Assessment. The survey should take about five minutes to complete. All of the responses are anonymous, and you will not be asked for your name. If you have any questions, please contact Katherine Richardson at katherine.richardson@healthyms.com or 601-576-7653.
Thank you for your participation in working to create a culture of health in Mississippi!