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Carter County board weighs scope and cost of Community Health Improvement Plan
Summary
Officials discussed the purpose, timeline and potential costs of a Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), including templates, stakeholder invitations, and whether to hold a single meeting or a multi-session process tied to the hospital’s community health needs assessment.
The public health administrator returned to the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) topic to ask the board how they want to structure the plan and how much time and money they are willing to allocate.
The administrator described the CHIP as a collaborative document that "identifies how to strategically and collaboratively address areas of priority in our community to increase overall health and well-being," and emphasized that the plan is intended to answer the results of a community health assessment rather than to dictate the department’s complete objectives.
Board members discussed trade-offs: doing a single meeting would be low-cost but possibly less effective, while hiring a consultant or technical writer would increase expense. The administrator said printing a prior booklet cost about $14 per copy and that costs vary based on staffing, meeting logistics, communications, and any additional data analysis. The board considered using templates from Montana State or other partners to reduce consultant costs.
Timing and coordination: staff said the county hospital (the Don Memorial Healthcare process) expects to finish its community health needs assessment in spring; board members suggested waiting for that product so stakeholders’ input can be aligned. The administrator recommended inviting stakeholders similar to those in the assessment (EMS, businesses, long-term care, hospital representatives) and noted that CHIP development can follow a monthly schedule to allow adequate completion of tasks.
Why it matters: a CHIP organizes county priorities, clarifies roles for local partners and can affect grant readiness and program planning. Board members emphasized the need to balance ambition with realistic resources.
What's next: staff will gather templates and examples, confirm timelines tied to the hospital’s assessment, and return with a proposed schedule and estimated costs for the board to approve.
