Public Health
SHIP
The Minnesota Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) seeks to create sustainable, systemic changes in schools, worksites, communities and health care organizations that make it easier for Minnesotans to incorporate healthy behaviors into their daily lives.
SHIP, an integral part of Minnesota’s nation-leading 2008 health reform law, strives to help Minnesotans lead longer, healthier lives by preventing the chronic disease risk factors of tobacco use and exposure, poor nutrition and physical inactivity.
Ship Fact Sheet 
In total, the Minnesota Department of Health awarded 40 SHIP grants, creating opportunities across the entire state. Each grantee needed to complete at least one activity in each of the following: Healthcare, Community, Worksite, and Schools – and needed to focus at least one intervention on Obesity and Tobacco.
SHIP in Sherburne County
Based on the requirements for setting and risk factor, the Sherburne County Community Leadership Team selected seven interventions:
1. (Community + Tobacco): Implement voluntary smoke-free housing policies in multi-unit housing.
2 & 3. (Community + Schools + Obesity): Implement policies and practices that create active schools and communities by increasing opportunities for non-motorized transportation (walking and biking) and access to school and community recreation facilities.
4 & 5. (Community + Obesity): Implement policies and practices that support healthy eating and physical activity in licensed childcare and pre-school settings.
6. (Worksites + Obesity): Implement a comprehensive employee wellness initiative that provides health assessment with follow-up coaching, ongoing health education, and has policies and environment supports that promote healthy weight and healthy behaviors.
7. (Healthcare + Obesity): Implement breastfeeding practices in maternity care that provides prenatal, birth, and postpartum services.
Why did the Community Leadership Team (CLT) select these seven interventions?
The CLT utilized existing data, responses from focus groups and surveys of community members in the county and considered the areas of need capacity and readiness when selecting these interventions.
No, in fact it is the opposite. The focus of SHIP is sustainability – being able to make policy, system and environmental changes and build upon these healthy improvements continually.
How is this related to health reform?
SHIP is an integral part of Minnesota's nation-leading 2008 health reform law. By targeting the risk factors of obesity and tobacco exposure, SHIP is addressing the leading preventable causes of illness and death in the United States. Currently the U.S. allocates approximately 3% of its total health expenditures on prevention; though spending in this area usually results in a return on investment1.
Get more information on Minnesota's Health Reform Initiative.
1U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2004Sherburne County Govt Center
ATTN: Public Health
13880 Business Center Dr NW
Elk River, MN 55330-1692
Office Location & Hours
| Phone: | 763-765-4000 800-433-5237 |
| Fax: | 763-765-4004 |
hhs@co.sherburne.mn.us