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Wisconsin State Health Plan

Every 10 years, state statute requires that the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) produce a state health plan. Aligning with best practices in public health, DHS has now shifted to a five-year cycle.

The state health plan consists of a state health assessment (SHA) and state health improvement plan (SHIP) that, together, provide an overview of the health of our state and serve as a roadmap for improving health in the coming years.

2025 State Health Assessment (SHA)

The 2025 State Health Assessment, P-03169-2025 (PDF) provides an overview of the current state of Wisconsin’s health and well-being across a wide range of topics alongside an overview of the social and community factors that influence health. The data will guide the selection of priorities for the next state health improvement plan.

The 2025 SHA contains more than 70 data points describing health and well-being factors, behaviors, and outcomes from across the lifespan. It seeks to make connections between policies, systems, and environments and how they influence health behaviors and, ultimately, health outcomes. The SHA also highlights Wisconsin’s resources that support health and well-being improvement, as well as opportunities for improvement.

The SHA is grounded in input from community members and organizations across Wisconsin. The community identified several health and well-being priorities:

  • Economic stress, including the rising cost of living.
  • Mental health, including feelings of burnout and poor access to care.
  • Housing, including a lack of affordable housing.
  • Transportation, including inadequate public transportation; transportation challenges in rural areas; and need for transportation options to work, health care appointments, and other necessary places.
  • Health care, including high costs; poor access to care; and lack of whole-person, prevention-focused care.

The 2025 Wisconsin State Health Assessment Executive Summary, P-03169A (PDF) provides an overview of the 2025 SHA, key findings from the assessment, data points across topic areas, and a list of assets and opportunities we can leverage to support health and well-being.

The 2025 SHA will serve as the starting point for development of the 2028–2032 State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP).

2023–2027 State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP)

Informed by the 2020 State Health Assessment, the SHIP represents a roadmap to community health improvement statewide, highlighting priority areas and strategies for population health improvement, measures and indicators to track progress, as well as partnerships necessary to implement the plan. This plan reaffirms Wisconsin’s continued commitment to ensuring that everyone in Wisconsin has a fair and just opportunity to live their best life and be as healthy as possible.

The 2023-2027 Wisconsin State Health Improvement Plan introduced foundational shifts, or fundamental changes necessary, identified by Wisconsinites. These are:

  • Institutional and systemic fairness.
  • Representation and access to decision making.
  • Community-centered resources.

The five priority areas that were raised as the most important to address to promote individual, community, and population health are:

  • Social and community conditions, including
    • Economic well-being.
    • Supportive systems of care.
    • Healthy housing.
  • Physical, mental, and systemic safety.
  • Person and community-centered health care.
  • Social connectedness and belonging.
  • Mental and emotional health and well-being.

SHIP materials:

Related information and reports

SHIP implementation news and updates

Cross-Sector Collaboration to End Homelessness in Wisconsin: This brief published June 2024 in partnership with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) describes one coalition, aligned with the SHIP’s Healthy Housing priority area), that seeks to end homelessness in Wisconsin.

‘We have to look upstream’: State health officials lay out priorities for improving public health: This Wisconsin Public Radio articles published in February 2023 describes the shift in approach laid out by the 2023-2027 State Health improvement Plan.

Have questions or feedback?

Send your questions, comments, or feedback to a member of the SHA team.

Julia Nagy
State Health Plan Process Management and Partnership Coordinator
Julia.Nagy@dhs.wisconsin.gov

Maggie Northrop
State Health Plan Coordinator
Margarita.Northrop@dhs.wisconsin.gov

Abravi Sadji
State Health Plan Engagement Liaison
Abravi.Sadji@dhs.wisconsin.gov

Glossary

 
Last revised May 28, 2026