Cochise County is encouraging its local communities to be a part of the county's major health initiative designed to address health, social and economic factors.

The Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) is part of The Cochise Healthy Community Initiative formed in 2016. CHIP was designed using data from a Community Health Assessment (CHA) conducted across the county and serve as a guide for communities to address issues of mental health and substance abuse, jobs and a healthy economy, healthy eating, diabetes, and obesity. 

“Developing the Community Health Assessment and the Community Health Improvement Plan is a milestone in bringing the communities within our County together,” Cochise Health and Social Services Director Carrie Langley said in a press release. 

Residents and organizations can apply CHIP to their missions or join one of several task forces established throughout the county or communities and organizations can start a task force of their own.  The Cochise County Health and Social Services Department will provide resources as well as help implement health projects and provide training. 

“Together, the CHA and CHIP can be useful to everyone in assessing needs, providing services, making policy changes, and securing funds for health-related services and projects in all the towns, neighborhoods, and communities in our county,” Cochise's prevention services director Judith Gilligan said in a statement. 

Visit healthycochise.org for more information.