Minnesota Department of Health’s
Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP)
10 tribal nations in Minnesota
SHIP was launched in 2008 as part of Minnesota’s bipartisan health reform effort. The Minnesota Legislature must renew the funding biannually and MDH awards grants to counties and cities across Minnesota.
Local communities then decide how to focus their efforts to prevent chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
The goal is to help Minnesotans live longer, healthier lives by supporting community driven solutions.
SHIP Strategies:
- Active Living
- Healthy Eating
- Commercial tobacco-free living
- Well-being
Good Food Guidelines - State Physical Activity and Nutrition (SPAN) Program
The Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Statewide Health Improvement Initiatives (OSHII) received SPAN funding to “implement scalable, evidence-based strategies that are state and locally-led with a focus on advancing health equity.” Good Food Guidelines is a pilot project funded through SPAN to “pilot a community-based approach to food guideline implementation.” Healthy Northland community partners Get Fit Itasca and the Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency (AEOA) are leading Good Food Guidelines projects in Itasca and St. Louis counties.
Building Resilient Inclusive Communities (BRIC)
The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) provides funding “to promote healthy living and reduce social isolation during the COVID pandemic through the Building Resilient Inclusive Communities (BRIC) Program.” Through Minnesota Department of Health, Healthy Northland community partners Aitkin County CARE, Inc and Aitkin County SHIP are working to improve nutrition security, physical activity access and social connectedness for residents in Aitkin County.
