1  State Health Assessment Overview

1.1 What is the State Health Assessment?

The 2019 Connecticut State Health Assessment is an update on the health status of Connecticut residents with a focus on the social determinants of health that are having the greatest impact on health outcomes. The assessment provides the basis for the Connecticut State Health Improvement Plan, which together make up the state health planning framework Healthy Connecticut 2025.

The purpose of the assessment is to provide the public, policy leaders, partners, and stakeholders with information on the health of the Connecticut population to develop a shared understanding of health issues and inform data-driven decision making and program planning. This state health assessment is an important tool to help identify the underlying conditions and factors that influence health, reflect on existing services and policies, and inform future public health planning for the benefit of all Connecticut communities.

1.2 Visions for Health Equity

Connecticut has a bold vision for Healthy Connecticut 2025. More specifically, the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) and partners envision the following:

Through effective assessment, prevention, and policy development, the Connecticut Department of Public Health and its stakeholders and partners provide every Connecticut resident equitable opportunities to be healthy throughout their lifetimes and are accountable to making measurable improvements toward health equity.

This vision lifts up a number of guiding principles that we uphold to center health equity:

  • A focus on every Connecticut resident: We strive for all Connecticut residents to experience optimal health and wellbeing.

  • Attention to the health needs of residents throughout their lifetimes.

  • A need to collaborate as stakeholders and partners: No one entity can advance health equity in isolation. A multi-sector and community-engaged approach is necessary to effectively understand the interconnected social determinants that impact health, and effectively address the practices, policies, and systems that support them.

  • A multi-pronged approach through assessment, prevention, policy development and accountability to achieve measurable improvements in health equity.

More information about health equity, health disparities, and the Social Determinants of Health can be found in the Describing Connecticut chapter.