SHIP is now officially the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership. The new name better reflects the investment in local solutions for better health and the partnerships with community organizations and members. SHIP makes better health together.  

Carver County SHIP currently partners with seven worksites to improve employee health. Together, these seven employee health programs will reach over 3,500 employees at 48 sites throughout the county. Partners currently meet quarterly to receive training, network, and share ideas on how to advance employee wellness.

In 2016, SHIP supported worksite partners in creating or enhancing their organization’s employee health program. This included securing leadership support, developing a wellness committee, creating a wellness brand and vision, and completing an assessment to inform their action plan for the coming year. In 2017, each organization will work to further promote employee health and wellness through various activities. Four partners will be working on healthy eating and physical activity strategies, two partners will address breastfeeding support at their worksites, and one partner will address tobacco cessation. Activities include adding healthier snack choices to vending machines, creating spaces for nursing mothers, updating tobacco policy to include the use of electronic cigarettes, creating walking route maps for employee breaks, and more.

In addition to one-on-one support and the quarterly meetings, SHIP is developing new communication channels, including a worksite-specific monthly newsletter and website, to share information, successes, and best practices among partnering organizations.

Each quarter four food shelves— Bountiful Basket (Chaska), Friends for Life (Watertown), Southwest Carver County (Norwood Young America) and Waconia United— come together to share ideas on how to make it easier for clients to access healthier foods. Representatives from University of Minnesota Extension SNAP-Ed, CAP Agency SNAP Outreach, The Food Group, Second Harvest Heartland, and Carver County Public Health also attend to provide support to the food shelves. SNAP is a program that helps low-income people buy the food they need for good health. SNAP-Ed provides the hands-on learning opportunities for those on or eligible for SNAP, and SNAP Outreach helps to reach out to eligible low-income people not yet participating in SNAP. The Food Group and Second Harvest Heartland are both hunger relief organizations and food banks.

In 2016 clients at each food shelf completed a survey to provide feedback on healthier changes they would like to see at their site. The survey results helped guide what changes the food shelves could make to make it easier for clients to choose healthier foods. Some of the enhancements included rearranging shelves to display healthy foods more prominently, providing nutrition training for staff and volunteers, and purchasing refrigerators to hold fresh produce.

The Carver-Scott Extension Master Gardeners are offering a series of classes this spring. Classes will be held at the Library in Chanhassen, Chaska, Norwood Young America, and Waconia.  Find meeting dates and times here. Class descriptions can be found here.