Help make the county healthier for everyone

Healthy Sheboygan County 2020 is a community- based initiative formed in 1993 and designed to make positive changes in the health of Sheboygan County by the year 2020. The diverse membership works together to help county residents live better and longer lives. Subcommittees have engaged in a wide variety of initiatives over the last several years. A Health Literacy Campaign shared resources to help residents make better decisions about their health. Medication Take-Back days have been held twice annually at five locations throughout the county. Mental health and alcohol and drug abuse resource fairs have been held annually.

Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment is an evidence- based approach designed to identify, reduce and prevent problematic use, abuse, and dependence on alcohol and drugs that have been in the planning stages for implementation in 2017.

The many steps to achieve Sheboygan Well County Designation from the Wellness Council of America began in 2015.

More information on these and other initiatives is at healthy sheboygancounty.org.

Healthy Sheboygan County 2020 leads a Community Health Assessment process every three years to look at the top health issues in Sheboygan County and update the current Community Health Improvement Plan. This plan will build upon successful partnerships focused on improving the health of our community and engaging residents in adopting a healthier lifestyle. This is a collaborative effort between Aurora Health Care, Lakeshore Community Health Center, Sheboygan County Health and Human Services- Division of Public Health, Healthy Sheboygan County 2020, St.

Nicholas Hospital, United Way of Sheboygan County and UW-Extension Sheboygan County Family Living.

Data will be gathered in three ways: a community health survey of residents, interviews with community leaders, and a review of the secondary health data from numerous data sources.

Your feedback as a community resident is important. You may receive a phone call in the next three weeks from “Management Decisions” asking your opinions about the important health issues in Sheboygan County. Please be willing to answer questions if you are contacted. Your responses, along with the community leader interviews and health data, will be analyzed to identify the top health issues in the county. The next Community Health Improvement Plan will be developed to reflect the current needs identified.

The plan will be rolled out to the community in the fall of 2017. Please take the opportunity to provide your feedback to make Sheboygan County a healthier place for everyone to live.

For information, visit healthysheboygancounty .org or call the Sheboygan County Division of Public Health at (920) 459-3031.


Jane Jensen is on the Leadership Council for Healthy Sheboygan County 2020 and is the Family Living Educator at UWExtension Sheboygan County.