BISMARCK, ND ( KXNET ) North Dakota’s Department of Health and Human Services (NDHHS) announced on Monday, July 8, that it has awarded several public, private, and nonprofit organizations the Statewide Health Strategies Grant to help them implement the State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP).

This Spring, NDHHS launched the SHIP, a five-year plan (2024-29) that will involve a collaboration of several organizations that all share the goal of improving the overall health of North Dakota’s citizens. In 2023, the North Dakotas State Legislature passed legislation that allocated money from the state’s Community Health Trust Fund for the grants.

“These three million dollars were matching funds,” explains NDHHS State Health Officer Dr. Nizar Wehbi, “meaning that the legislators have appropriated $1.5 million from the Community Health Trust Fund to be matched dollar for dollar, with additional funding from the organizations awarded the grant.”

Dr. Wehbi noted that the grant will fund 23 statewide projects, that are all part of the SHIP.

“These include a wide range of various aspects that need more attention or capacity,” he adds, “and they will contribute to making the state a healthier state.”

The four major priorities of the plan are to improve the health of North Dakotans, strengthen North Dakota’s medical workforce, cultivate overall wellness among the state’s residents, as well as expanding access to healthcare and build community resilience, as they pertain to medical emergency preparedness. To receive the grants, all of the organizations had to create a project that they would use to take action and meet these goals.

“We asked [that] when we sent out the notice for funding,” Dr. Whebi continues, “that they address one or more of these priorities in their proposals,” explained Dr. Wehbi.

Dr. Wehbi notes that rather than implement a centralized government plan to improve healthcare, NDHHS felt it would be more effective to enlist help from several organizations across the state while allowing for more local control.

“Those funds and grants are meant to spur innovation within our communities,” he emphasized. “Community partners know what works best for their communities, and they can be innovative in solutions and interventions that work best for their communities.”

Dr. Wehbi adds that once the organizations receive their funding, they will also have to document their progress throughout the next five years as the plan is implemented. After the organizations receive their grant funding, he foresees that they should begin working on their projects later this year.

“We are looking forward to more partnerships within our community entities,” he concludes, “in order to achieve our overall goal of becoming the healthiest state in the nation.”

If you would like to know more about North Dakota’s State Health Improvement plan, you can visit the NDHHS website for more information.

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Today's Top Stories

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KX NEWS.