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League Collaborates with CHIP...(Ann Hardy)

The Community Health Improvement Partnership (CHIP) has invited the League of Women Voters to join its Leadership Council in an effort to provide another avenue for improving the health of Sarasota County residents.  Ann Hardy, as chair of the Health Care Committee, will represent the League.

CHIP’s mission is to engage and support citizens and agencies to positively impact the physical, mental, social, and environmental health of their community through research, planning, implementation, and evaluation.

CHIP’s Leadership Council serves as a planning body for long-range health improvement efforts.  It works to increase visibility and advocacy around key health issues in the community, and informs and advises policy makers on local and regional health policy issues.  The League of Women Voters should fit right in.

The Council includes representation from health provider agencies; the business community; Sarasota County health, school, library, and government; not-for-profit organizations; and concerned citizens.

CHIP was created in 2002 with funding from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation and local hospitals and health departments and managed by SCOPE.

Many of CHIP’s accomplishments have occurred through Community Health Action Teams (CHATs) in Englewood, North Port, and Laurel-Osprey-Venice-Nokomis…”LOVN”.  New Town is its newest CHAT.

CHIP’s Provocateur Project has promoted collaboration among the hospital CEOs and the health departments in Sarasota, Charlotte, and DeSoto Counties.

The League is currently represented on the “Get Sarasota Insured” committee of CHIP.  This committee works to address the needs of the uninsured and the underinsured in Sarasota County.  It does this by offering information on more affordable health insurance coverage, and local free or low-cost healthcare (including medications).  The committee offers community education forums, one-on-one consultations, web-based information and information kiosks at county libraries.

If you would like more information on CHIP, go to: chip4health.org.  If you would like to find out more about the League’s Health Care Committee, contact Ann Hardy at annhardy@verizon.net