Health department to convene 30‑person CHIP workshop as next step in County health improvement planning

Summit County Health Department staff told the Board of Health they are convening a two‑day Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) workshop for roughly 30 stakeholders, including health‑system clinicians, first‑responder agencies, community clinics, the chamber of commerce and county elected officials.

Staff said they secured a professional moderator, Erin Lacombe, who previously led a larger CHIP process in San Bernardino County, and that the workshop will be structured with frequent breakouts and active exercises so participants can focus on priority setting rather than basic CHIP terminology. The department plans to circulate a short video explaining the CHIP process and preparatory “homework” so participants begin the workshop with shared context.

Staff said county representation will include the health department, the Board of Health and possibly MDs and other clinicians. They also named the sheriff's office, fire department and the Great People’s Health Clinic among likely participants. Logistics were still being finalized; staff said they hoped to announce the event location and final attendee list by the end of the week or early next week.

Board members asked whether the meeting would be open to the public and whether school districts and resort executives were invited. Staff said the meeting is publicly noticed and could include some public attendees, but it is primarily a focused working meeting for invited stakeholders; outreach to school nurses and superintendents has been made but scheduling falls in a school break window for some districts. Staff emphasized that the facilitator will be neutral and that health‑department staff will avoid steering the conversation.

Staff said they expect the CHIP retreat material to feed directly into the department's upcoming budget cycle and the department will bring any resulting budget proposals to the county council in August.