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Health of Massachusetts

The 2024 Massachusetts State Health Assessment (SHA) and State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) processes were guided by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s (DPH) Strategic Plan to Advance Racial Equity.

The SHA describes the health of people who are born, live, learn, work, play and age in Massachusetts and is used to develop the SHIP. The SHIP outlines improvement strategies and resources to achieve optimal health and well-being for all people by improving conditions, policies and access.

Massachusetts Department of Public Health

is working to improve the health of our people. Find out how.

State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP)

Massachusetts State Health Assessment (SHA)

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Assessment and Interactive Data Tools

The SHA includes a wide variety of data sources for demographics, health outcomes, health behaviors, and community resources. These data help to identify the most important public health issues that are being addressed in order to achieve optimal health and well-being for all people in Massachusetts.  

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State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP)

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SHIP and Priority Areas

The SHIP outlines goals, improvement strategies, assets and resources to promote health and equity in Massachusetts. 

Find plan details, data, and information on what Massachusetts is doing for each for the following priority areas: 1) Chronic Disease 2) Drug Overdose Prevention 3) HIV, STIs, and Tuberculosis 4) Maternal Morbidity and Mortality. 

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Process

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Strategic Plan to Advance Racial Equity

DPH’s five-year Strategic Plan to Advance Racial Equity aims to lead with race/ethnicity, though not exclusively, by implementing a racial-equity-informed intersectional approach to partnering with priority populations that experience the most deeply entrenched inequities in public health. This racial-equity-centered approach to health equity is the foundational public health strategy that guided the development of the 2024 Massachusetts SHA and SHIP. 

More on the Strategic Plan to Advance Racial Equity

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Process 

For the SHA and SHIP, DPH pivoted from a static document to a dynamic set of web-based dashboards and interactive webpages. The SHA and SHIP were done in collaboration with different partners including but not limited to different bureaus, offices, coalitions, advisories and boards, as well as tribal and indigenous people serving organizations.   

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Phone

Phone: Call Massachusetts State Health Assessment (SHA), Phone: at (617) 624 - 6000

Online

For questions or technical assistance: Email Massachusetts State Health Assessment (SHA) at dph.statehealthassessment@mass.gov

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