The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) is sponsoring a series of eight regional meetings starting July 26, 2011, to gather input that will be used for a statewide health needs assessment.  At Michigan's Children, we understand the critical importance of the health of children and families to succeed academically and in life. Critical areas of health such as maternal and infant health, teen pregnancy, adolescent health and health behaviors all affect individual outcomes in terms of health, education, and career.

At the meeting, a chartbook of data will be presented with a variety of health and demographic indicators.  In addition to the state level data, MDCH will have regional and in some cases, county level data.  The meeting will begin with a brief review of data and discussion of those items for which the region is doing better or worse than the state averages.  There will be a facilitated discussion and smaller group sessions to discuss what the health priorities should be and what is working well or not working to impact the priorities.

The work of these regional meetings will be used to craft a statewide health improvement plan.  The meetings will also provide an opportunity for public input on health issues facing Michigan citizens.   The output from these meetings will be useful at the local level for hospitals and local health departments to use for their own local health needs assessments.

See a complete list of the regional meetings including dates, times and locations.

For more information about these meeetings, contact Deb Tews at (517) 335-9982 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .