Assessing the health status of the community is a core public health function of the HCA. The data and information contained in the most recent CHIP is used to help better educate health department staff, government officials, and the community about local health priorities and needs of the County. Similarly, the CHIP also helps to develop policy and operational priorities, allocate community resources, and plan for action to improve health.
The latest CHIP identified that improving health in Orange County requires a close look at the conditions that create health inequities. Two of the six focus areas previously identified as priority areas in the CHIP revolved around addressing overall system issues: Social Determinants of Health and Access and System Navigation. The four remaining priority areas highlighted health topics as the most pressing to work on in the next three years: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Mental Health and Substance Use; Older Adult Health; and Sexual Health. To learn more about the six priority areas identified in Orange County’s most recent CHIP, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the area of interest.