Title: CDC Assessment Initiative Awarded Blum Award for Excellence in Health
Author:
Section/SPIG: Community Health Planning and Policy Development
Issue Date:
The CDC Assessment Initiative was nominated for creating linkages between health care and public health, and for maximizing resources. Since 1992, the Assessment Initiative has entered into cooperative agreements with 15 states to develop new systems and methods to improve how data are used in the public health policy- and decision-making process. The project’s budget of approximately $2.5 million currently funds seven states for a five-year period and also supports CDC project staff and an annual conference focused on practical issues relating to community health assessment practice, data access and data utilization. Specific examples of their activities include:
- Using data to influence public heath policy:
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) used Assessment Initiative funds to develop an integrated data warehouse and a web-based, interactive health data query system (http://www.health.state.mo.us/MICA/nojava.html). Among the users of this system was a report for a foundation that was in turn formed a basis for a statewide grant program. In 2002, data generated from this system was presented to the Missouri Health Foundation. The Foundation’s Board of Directors was tasked with identifying health priorities to form the basis for a statewide grant program.
- Linking disparate data sets to understand public health issues:
Assessment Initiative resources were used by the Oregon Department of Human Services to form a partnership with the state's Office of Medical Assistance Program (OMAP) to facilitate the availability and use of data on health risks, health status, preventive services, and clinical outcomes in the Medicaid population.
- Using information to strengthen infrastructure and foster collaboration: Through the CDC Assessment Initiative, the New York State Department of Health developed an evaluation tool to rate the overall completeness and usability of community health assessments (CHA) completed by local health departments. One outcome of this process was the development of an electronic CHA Clearinghouse designed to share examples of promising assessment practices, CHA data sources/tools, and links to evidence-based community health practices. The Clearinghouse is available at: <http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/chac/index.htm>.