Lawrence public health officials outline five‑year Community Health Improvement Plan, invite city alignment

Lawrence‑Douglas County Public Health presented its Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) to the Lawrence City Commission on June 10, 2025, describing six focus areas — access to health services, behavioral health, anti‑poverty, birth outcomes, food security and housing — and asking the city to consider formally aligning staff and policy work with the plan.

"The Community Health Improvement Plan is a roadmap for advancing health and well‑being in our community," Jonathan Smith, executive director of Lawrence‑Douglas County Public Health, said during the presentation. The department said the CHIP was developed after a community health assessment and an engaged, multi‑partner planning process and launched in October 2024 with implementation and evaluation through 2029.

The plan organizes work under measurable objectives and evidence‑based strategies. Dr. Vicki Cali Akers, director of policy and planning at Lawrence‑Douglas County Public Health, said the assessment that informed the CHIP is a "comprehensive 145 page document" and that more than 1,000 Douglas County residents completed the department survey used to shape priorities. The CHIP’s…