Welcome to MKE Elevate, a community-driven agenda for elevating the health and well-being of Milwaukee residents.

Supported by the Milwaukee Common Council, the Board of Health, and the City of Milwaukee Health Department, the MKE Elevate Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) responds to priority issues selected by our community, for our community, and seeks to create shared priorities to address these issues. Together we can elevate the health of all who call Milwaukee home.

MKE Elevate Reengagement and Evaluation Report, 2020-2021

The City of Milwaukee Health Department’s Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), entitled MKE Elevate, was implemented from 2017-2021. The MKE Elevate Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) Reengagement and Evaluation Report reflects on the progress made in the last five years by comparing population health data related to the three priority areas, presenting the status reported by Implementation Partners of the strategies listed within the plan, identifying major assets and accomplishments from our Implementation Partners, and spotlighting a community partner who embodies the CHIP’s vision of Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods through their work within a priority action area.

The MHD CHIP process aims to be inclusive, participatory, and community-driven. We are so grateful for the dedication of our Implementation Partners, Action Teams and Steering Committee members, and anyone who took the time to participate in this process. We have only just begun our work on eliminating health and racial disparities to promote and protect economic security, shape an inclusive and fair society – by eliminating racism, and support positive mental health for our city.

Please click the image to view the report, or you can access the report here. 

This material is available in alternative formats for individuals with disabilities upon request. Please contact 414-286-3475, ADACoordinator@milwaukee.gov or TTY: 711.

About MKE Elevate           

MKE Elevate is both a process and a plan that will elevate the health of all Milwaukee residents. Through the Community Health Improvement Planning Process, our goal was to create a citywide Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) that identifies shared goals and action steps that will result in long-term measurable improvements in the health of residents citywide.

What is a Community Health Improvement Plan?

The Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) is a roadmap for improving and promoting the health of Milwaukee residents. It is a community-driven process, supported by Mayor Tom Barrett and the City of Milwaukee Health Department, that engages our residents, businesses, agencies and nonprofits in deciding Milwaukee's most pressing health issues. Using the data and health issues identified in the City of Milwaukee Community Health Assessment (CHA) and communitywide surveys, the MKE Elevate CHIP outlines how we can all work together to elevate the health of our community around select priority areas for action.

Who is involved in this work?

The City of Milwaukee Health Department is facilitating the implementation of the CHIP. However, this is a community-driven initiative, and will need the entire community to execute the plan. We are asking individuals, businesses, agencies, nonprofits and coalitions citywide to join us in implementing the Priority Action Areas of MKE Elevate. 

What is the CHIP process?

2016-2017: Planning

MHD completed a comprehensive assessment, the City of Milwaukee Community Health Assessment (link above), to determine baseline measures for key health outcomes and key health determinants. A communitywide survey of more than 3,000 people who live and/or work in the city of Milwaukee along with a photo campaign, key stakeholder interviews, focus groups and meetings have helped us identify a vision and three proposed Priority Action Areas.

At three community meetings, community residents and stakeholders approved these priority areas, and then formed Action Teams to develop draft goals and objectives for each area. Meeting participants also identified current activities already underway in Milwaukee that support the goals and objectives. Through one-on-one meetings, additional activities were identified for inclusion in a draft MKE Elevate Community Health Improvement Plan.

A draft of the MKE Elevate Community Health Improvement Plan was then available for public comment and feedback. Residents and stakeholders were encouraged to review the plan, identify any additional activities underway in our community that supported these proposed goals and objectives, and also to identify any new strategies that should be considered for inclusion in the final plan. The final MKE Elevate Community Health Improvement Plan incorporated the feedback from residents and stakeholders and was published in October 2017.

Following the release of the plan, Action Teams re-convened to develop work plans that responded to the community-identified priorities, as well as evaluation and ongoing monitoring mechanisms. A Steering Committee was identified to provide oversight and coordination to the effort to move the needle on these issues together.

2017-2021: Implementation & Evaluation

In the implementation phase of MKE Elevate, MHD worked with our implementation partners as well as any community member or community agency whose work aligns with the goals and strategies outlined in the plan. We re-engaged implementation partners in 2020 due to a lapse in implementation caused by staff turnover and the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with the implementation phase, MHD will co-currently be evaluating progress made on the plan. 

What comes next?

2022: The Redevelopment of the CHIP

In 2022, MHD will be redeveloping the CHIP through revisiting the Mission and Vision, performing a Stakeholder and Power Analysis, identifying and recruiting a Core Committee, a Steering Committee & Action Team members, and identifying strategies & action steps for the redeveloped plan. 

View the MHD CHIP Redevelopment Planning Documents below:

• November 2021 Action Team Meeting Recording - Planning for the Redevelopment of the CHIP in 2022 
• Slides from the November Action Team Meeting
• 2022 CHIP Planning Timeline

Get Involved!

Subscribe to our E-Notify Newsletter	1. Visit the City of Milwaukee E-Notify Login Page ​   2. Click on the registration tab and fill in your information to create an account ​   3. Subscribe to the newsletter under “Information Updates” tab by checking the box for “MHD Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) Updates” – in the first column, a little over halfway down
Identify how your work aligns to our Vision and Priority Action Areas	Vision: Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods    Priority Action Areas: Economic Security Inclusive and Fair Society - Eliminate Racism Positive Mental Health
Determine the level of engagement you would like in the CHIP process
Meet with us!	If you are interested in discussing further how your organization can collaborate with MHD in the CHIP process, we would love to hear from you! You can email us at   MKEelevate@milwaukee.gov to set up an informational meeting with the team. We look forward to hearing how our work can align to make the most significant, equitable impact on our Milwaukee community.

Our Partnerships