Harrisburg, PA – Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today reminded residents that there is one week left to comment on the department’s State Health Assessment (SHA), which was created based on the health of Pennsylvanians and will help improve overall health for everyone.

“The opportunity to live a healthy life is a fundamental human right, which is why it is essential that we work to help everyone achieve their healthiest lives,” Dr. Levine said. “The SHA is a comprehensive health assessment that looks at the current health status of Pennsylvanians and is developed using a number of different processes, including community engagement. I encourage every resident to take the time to review our assessment so we can work to develop recommendations regarding public health policy, processes and interventions.”

This state health assessment reviews a broad range of indicators of health, conditions to describe health throughout Pennsylvania, and the factors that contribute to disparate health outcomes. This report explores social determinants of health, health equity, and eight health themes, including:

• Access to Care;
• Substance Use;
• Chronic Diseases;
• Mental Health;
• Maternal and Infant Health;
• Injury and Violence;
• Immunizations and Infectious Diseases; and
• Environmental Health.

The assessment is the first in a series of steps to improve the health of Pennsylvanians. This report is intended to be used to create discussion, promote ongoing and expanded data analysis, support local health improvement interventions, and inform the next Healthy Pennsylvania Partnership State Health Improvement Plan.

The State Health Improvement Plan will use these findings to collaboratively select priority health issues and develop intervention strategies to create change in Pennsylvania.

“No single person or organization can address all the health and health equity concerns described in this assessment,” Dr. Levine said. “However, working with partners and addressing equitable and upstream needs, will lead to necessary change.”

Pennsylvania residents are encouraged review this new assessment and provide feedback through this linked survey by December 7, 2020.

For any questions about the assessment, please contact RA-SHA@pa.gov. For more information on health equity or social determinants of health, visit the Department of Health’s website at www.health.pa.gov or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.