Justin DeJager

This 2025 Community Health Report by the Tri-County Community Health Improvement Coalition details a collaborative Community Health Needs Assessment for Calumet, Outagamie, and Winnebago Counties, with the overarching goal of improving health and well-being for all individuals. Utilizing the Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships 2.0 (MAPP 2.0) framework and a Vital Conditions Framework, the report identifies wealth inequality as a dominant factor influencing health outcomes. It analyzes conditions across areas such as Belonging & Civic Muscle, Meaningful Work & Wealth, Humane Housing, Basic Needs for Health & Safety, Lifelong Learning, Reliable Transportation, and Thriving Natural World. The assessment's findings will inform a three-year Community Health Improvement Plan, initially prioritizing Mental Health and Belonging & Civic Muscle, to establish a unified and repeatable improvement process.

This document, the Winnebago County Community Health Assessment Summary, provides an overview of the community's health, its drivers, status, and outcomes. It highlights existing community strengths while revealing significant disparities among various population groups related to income, race, educational status, and housing, which contribute to a lower quality of life and poor health outcomes. The assessment identifies fragmented support systems and aims to serve as a foundation for determining community health priorities and developing a Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). The strategic direction emphasizes understanding health determinants, focusing on areas of greatest need, fostering collaboration, and implementing diverse strategies to improve health and well-being for all residents.

This annual report details the ongoing efforts of the Winnebago County Overdose Fatality Review team to reduce overdose deaths and address persistent nonfatal overdoses. The plan outlines three key priorities for 2025-2026: closing communication gaps in care systems, providing support to children impacted by a loved one's overdose, and focusing on overdose prevention efforts, including addressing trauma and early substance use. The overarching vision is to sustain the decline in overdose fatalities, saving lives and restoring futures within the community.

This strategic plan outlines the direction for Winnebago County Public Health from 2025 to 2027, focusing on assuring community conditions for all to thrive. The plan aims to establish the organization as a strong, trusted partner leading the county to a healthier future. Key pillars include increasing WCPH's visibility and community understanding, investing in staff development, strengthening the integration of equity work, expanding community partnerships, and enhancing policy advocacy and development capacity. The intended outcome is a healthier community with increased power-sharing, stabilized funding, and a diverse, resilient public health workforce.

This document outlines Winnebago County Public Health's commitment to achieving health equity, defined as a state where everyone can attain their full potential for health and well-being. The organization's purpose is to improve community conditions that influence health, such as transportation, housing, and education. It focuses on supporting policies and practices that address root causes of inequity, including racism, classism, and poverty, guided by data and evidence. A key internal priority is developing a diverse workforce to serve all populations effectively, aiming for a community where everyone has a fair opportunity to thrive.