ALLEGAN COUNTY, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — A coalition of several area agencies have developed a plan for a Allegan County Community Health assessment.
Involved in the plan’s development were Ascension Borgess Allegan Hospital, Allegan County Health Department (ACHD), United Way of Ottawa and Allegan Counties, OnPoint, Allegan County Food Pantry Collaborative (ACFPC), Allegan Area ESA, Gun Lake Tribe, Allegan County Multi-Agency Collaborative Council (MACC), and other agencies.
The goals of the plan, known as CHIP, include access to medical care, behavioral health, food security, and housing. The plan also includes how the needs will be met by the agencies involved.
Information from the Allegan CHNA completed earlier this year by community members identified four priority areas of focus including Behavioral Health and Substance Use Disorder (SUD), Housing, Access to Medical Care, and Food Security. The CHIP includes common goals, strategies, and objectives for the four priority areas, as well as specific tactics on how to implement the identified strategies in the community.
The four CHIP goals are:
- Behavioral Health – Increase recognition and treatment of behavioral health conditions, inclusive of substance use disorders, in Allegan County.
- Housing – Strengthen the housing sector within Allegan County and increase collaborative solutions.
- Access to Medical Care – Increase capacity and use of a patient-centered, community-integrated, and quality system of care for Allegan County residents.
- Food Security – Increase availability of healthy food options for residents, while also expanding supplemental food resources in Allegan County.
ACHD Health Officer Angelique Joynes stated, “We are so grateful to work together with these various organizations to align resources. The CHIP process brings these efforts together with a shared vision, maximizing resources for working together to address these prioritized areas. Together; striving for a healthier Allegan County.”
