County Health and Cottage Health Release New Community Health Improvement Plan

Plan Prioritizes Local Health Improvement Efforts Through 2027 

The County of Santa Barbara Health Department and Cottage Health are proud to release a new Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP)—a long-term  roadmap designed to improve the health and well-being of Santa Barbara County residents.

This plan is the result of months of engagement and strategy development with community  partners following the publication of the 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment.

The CHIP outlines a shared vision and collective strategies to address four priority health areas  identified by the community: 

1A – Access to Care and Social Needs: Improve access to healthcare and basic  needs resources, including culturally relevant providers, by eliminating barriers to  care and addressing the social drivers to health. 

1B – Access to Care for Children: Understand and reduce barriers parents or  guardians face preventing their child from receiving at least six well-child visits  before their fifteenth month of life. 

2 – Behavioral Health: Improve mental health across all age groups by raising  awareness, enhancing screening, and providing access to prevention and treatment.  

3 – Maternal Health: Increase the proportion of pregnant women who receive early  and adequate prenatal care.  

“Our Community Health Improvement Plan reflects the voices and experiences of our  residents,” said Michelle Wehmer, Senior Epidemiologist at County Health. “These four areas  were not just identified through data — they came directly from our community, and we’re  focused on driving progress in these areas through strong collaboration.” 

The CHIP provides a roadmap for coordinated action across sectors over the next three years, focusing on sustainable, equity-centered strategies that improve health outcomes and  quality of life. Implementation is already underway, with targeted trainings to support CHIP  interventions and the launch of workgroups designed to track progress and offer partners  meaningful opportunities to contribute toward each initiative. 

The full 2024-2027 Community Health Improvement Plan is available to download.