KENOSHA, Wis. — Kenosha County Public Health has begun developing a new five-year Community Health Improvement Plan, a state-required roadmap that will help guide local health priorities through the end of the decade. The updated plan is being created through the Kenosha County Thrive initiative following a countywide community health survey conducted last year.
The Thrive initiative is a community-guided effort led by Kenosha County Public Health with support from Aurora Health Care and Froedtert South. The new plan will replace the county’s most recent Community Health Improvement Plan, which was completed in 2023.
Health Officer Ricky Ferrari Traner said the county is moving from a three-year planning cycle to a five-year plan to give community partners more time to implement meaningful improvements.
“Our objective is for it to be a living document that may be changed as needed as community needs and concerns evolve,” Ferrari Traner said. “This plan belongs to the community and will continue to be informed by the feedback we hear from community stakeholders and the public at large.”
The previous Thrive plan identified three primary areas for improvement:
- Enhancing access to affordable health care
- Improving access to affordable and safe housing
- Mental health and substance use
According to county officials, those same issues remained among the leading concerns expressed by more than 500 residents who responded to the Community Health Assessment survey conducted last year.
Once the updated plan is completed later this year, the Kenosha County Health Advisory Council and its action teams will begin developing strategies to address the identified priorities. Those efforts will continue through a series of meetings in the coming months.
County officials also plan to gather additional public input at several upcoming events, including the Kenosha County Public Health Back-to-School Health Fair on Aug. 13 at Brass Community School and during the Kenosha County Fair.
Ferrari Traner thanked residents and advisory council members for their participation in the process.
“We appreciate the work of our Health Advisory Council and the response we’ve received from the public,” he said. “Together, we are working to make Kenosha County a healthier community.”
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