From Plan to Practice—How Morris County Turned Its CHA/CHIP into Community Action
When Morris County completed its Community Health Assessment (CHA) and Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), Administrator Jamie Johnson was determined that they would not become more documents that “sat on a shelf.” For this small, rural health department with limited staff capacity, the CHA/CHIP became a practical roadmap for prioritizing efforts, strengthening partnerships, and translating shared data into meaningful community action.
Perhaps most importantly, developing the CHA and CHIP deepened trust. The act of convening, listening, and prioritizing together strengthened relationships that had existed for years but had not always been fully leveraged. The facilitated discussions—led by WSU CEI—created space for honest conversation and consensus-building, grounded in survey data and community input. This hands‑on, collaborative process strengthened bonds among the health department, hospital, K-State Extension, and other key partners, making future collaboration more natural and effective.
In fact, one of the earliest outcomes was a shift in how the local LiveWell Morris County coalition functioned. At every coalition meeting, the CHIP stayed front and center. Goals were not abstract—they were written directly into meeting minutes, revisited regularly, and used to keep partners aligned. That helped coalition members move from broad conversations to a clear, shared understanding of what to focus on, grounded in community data. As a result, the coalition was better positioned to act—pursuing grants, coordinating initiatives, and advancing outcomes that no single organization could achieve alone.
The top priorities the community identified were food and nutrition, youth and children and health care. Using CHA findings, the coalition sought and was awarded grant funding to create a comprehensive community resource guide—something simple, but long overdue. It brought together accurate, up-to-date information in one place and was distributed widely across schools, clinics, libraries, and other trusted locations. A digital version ensured it would stay current.
Within the Food and Nutrition priority, the team incorporated several strategies that sought to address hunger, and that became one of the earliest areas of visible progress. The coalition also supported improvements to a grant-funded backpack food program. Instead of standard grocery bags, they used sling-style backpacks to reduce stigma for students. They printed enough to “flood the market,” making the bags feel normal rather than identifying. Inside, families also received the new resource guide, connecting immediate support with longer-term resources. At the same time, efforts like visiting high school classes to reduce stigma related to community hunger, increasing produce distribution through the community garden, and involving youth in food production reinforced a broader approach to food access.
Johnson is grateful she chose to get outside support with CHA/CHIP facilitation. “Partnering with WSU CEI was the most valuable part of our CHA/CHIP process,” Johnson shared. “Because they led the process and managed the behind-the-scenes work, we were able to be fully present in the room during sessions. That made a huge difference. We weren’t distracted by logistics—we could engage in real conversations and make meaningful decisions.”
Today, Morris County’s work reflects a simple but powerful shift—from planning to doing. The CHA and CHIP are no longer endpoints; they are tools that continue to shape decisions, align partners, and move the community forward.
If your community is interested in learning more about partnering with CEI for your CHA/CHIP process, click here.