Garrett County
The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) has launched a State Health Improvement Process (SHIP) to define health priorities within the State and improve the health of all Marylanders. From this exercise, 39 health objectives have been identified. Click here to read more about SHIP. Of the objectives defined by SHIP, Garrett County is comparable to or better than the State average in 31 of the 39 objectives. Garrett County ranks worse than the State in the following 8 objectives:
- Objective 33 – Youth tobacco use
- Objective 25 – Heart disease mortality
- Objective 24 – Adult seasonal influenza vaccine rate
- Objective 32 – Adult tobacco use
- Objective 31 – Child/adolescent obesity
- Objective 36 – Adults without health insurance
- Objective 30 – Adult overweight/obesity
- Objective 1 – Life expectancy
Since most public health progress happens locally where people live, work, learn, and play, DHMH asked each jurisdiction to develop their own Local Health Improvement Plan (LHIP). In Garrett County, the Health Planning Council will take the lead with the LHIP with staffing and direction provided by the Garrett County Health Department and Garrett County Memorial Hospital. This plan will update the 2008-2012 Garrett County Strategic Plan, taking into consideration the latest community health data and forces of change.