Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP)

In 2008, Minnesota lawmakers recognized that controlling health care costs would require more than just changes in medical care - additional investments in prevention were needed. With bipartisan support in the legislature, Minnesota passed a groundbreaking health reform law. A key component of that reform was to create the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP), which invests in preventing chronic diseases before they start. 

SHIP supports community-driven solutions to expand opportunities for active living, healthy eating and commercial tobacco-free living. SHIP helps all people in Minnesota prevent chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. 

SHIP helps build thriving communities, creating opportunities for all people in Minnesota to live longer, healthier lives. Ninety percent of the nation's health care costs are for people with chronic conditions and the majority of those costs are preventable. Examples of SHIP efforts include: 

• Supporting new moms so that it is easier for them to breastfeed after they return to work
• Work with health care providers to implement evidence-based programs that address chronic conditions
• Increasing access to fruits and vegetables at emergency food programs and retailers
• Making biking and walking easier in towns and cities

More information about SHIP is available from the Minnesota Department of Health. 

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