A four-year-old state-wide program to improve 41 health statistics has produced improvements in many categories, according to a new report from its creators at the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
The report on the State Health Improvement Process, or SHIP, showed targets were met or significant progress was made on 28 of the goals that included reducing child obesity, teen birth rates, domestic violence and deaths from heart disease and cancer.
All the categories are based around healthy babies, healthy social environments, safe physical environments, infectious disease, chronic disease and health care access.
The standard measures are used to establish priorities by local health improvement coalitions, which included health departments, hospitals, health providers, schools, faith-based organizations and other community groups.
New goals will be set for 2017, state health officials said.