Local Health Partnership Coordinates Countywide Plan to Improve Community Health

The Healthy Together Steering Committee is a long running partnership of Lewis and Clark County agencies and community stakeholders that coordinates the countywide Community Health Improvement Plan, known as CHIP. The committee publishes annual progress reports, hosts task force meetings to assess health data, set priorities and track outcomes, and links residents and organizations to planning and direct service resources.

Partners include Lewis & Clark Public Health, St. Peter’s Health, PureView Health Center, Rocky Mountain Development Council and United Way of the Lewis and Clark Area, together with other local organizations. The committee’s public page provides access to the county’s 2025 Community Health Improvement Plan, the community health assessment and a CASPER report, creating a central place for public health planning documents and assessment data.

The steering committee’s work matters to residents because it translates data into operational priorities that determine where clinics, outreach and prevention programs are concentrated. Annual progress reports allow community members to see measures of success and gaps in services, while task force meetings bring clinical providers, social service agencies and public health officials together to respond to emerging issues such as vaccination coverage, behavioral health needs and access to maternal and child nutrition programs like WIC.

Methodologically the effort relies on community health assessment tools and CASPER rapid assessments to gather population level data, then uses recurring task force meetings to interpret findings and set measurable objectives in the CHIP. That approach creates accountability, by linking stated priorities to tracked outcomes, and it supports grant applications and service planning that affect local funding and program availability.

For residents seeking direct services, the committee’s resources are a practical starting point for finding immunization clinics, community mental health initiatives and WIC locations. The Public Health office contact information and links to the CHIP and assessment reports are available on the county’s Healthy Together page for those who want to review progress reports, offer feedback or get involved in ongoing community health efforts. The collaborative structure aims to ensure local decision making reflects current data and community needs, and to make public health services more transparent and accessible to all county residents.