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NEW YORK
Focus Area:
Community Health Assessment Practice
Contact:
Mike Medvesky
Project Manager
Public Health Information Group
New York State Department of Health
750 Corning Tower , ESP
Albany , NY 12237
(518) 474-2543
mgm06@health.state.ny.us
Priti Irani, Project Director
pri01@health.state.ny.us
Cate Bohn, Community Health Information Specialist
cmb20@health.state.ny.us
The New York Assessment Initiative at the New York State Department of Health is working on projects to strengthen local planning through developing and enhancing an Internet-based clearinghouse, developing and implementing an Internet-based tool for determining the effectiveness of community assessment, and providing ongoing training and technical assistance. Assessment activities include:
Enhancing an Internet-based Community Health Assessment Clearinghouse: The clearinghouse has tools, information, and resources related to assessment, process, data, and practice, and was designed as a one-stop resource for assessment professionals. Community partners have completed usability tests of the clearinghouse, conducted under subcontract by the University at Albany School of Public Health; Assessment Initiative staff are currently making changes to the clearinghouse based on results of the usability testing.
Development and implementation of an Internet-based tool to determine usefulness of Community Health Assessments: The Assessment Initiative has a subcontract with Rand Corporation to develop, implement, and refine a tool to help communities identify the strengths and areas for improvement in their community health planning product(s) and process. It will result in a comprehensive literature review, identification of consensus criteria that determine an effective community health assessment; translation of these criteria into an Internet-based tool, development of a feedback report; and implementation, evaluation, and refinement of the Internet-based tool. The Internet-based tool should be available in Fall 2005.
Adapting Evidence-Based Public Health course: Staff at the Schools of Public Health in Albany and Buffalo are adapting an evidence-based public health course developed by St. Louis University School of Public Health to the needs of community health practitioners in New York State. In previous years, the New York Assessment Initiative sponsored a series of training courses related to data access, interpretation, the assessment process, and evaluation. These courses are being rewritten for the clearinghouse. A discussion of the impact of Public Health Data: Our Silent Partner, one of the training courses offered has been published. ( Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, July 2002, 8(4), 54-62)
The New York Assessment Initiative works collaboratively with teams of external community partners, internal departmental partners, and four state partners: Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Vermont. For more information on activities of the New York Assessment Initiative, visit the clearinghouse. Resource Links:
Community Health Assessment Clearinghouse
“Public Health Data: Our Silent Partner” |
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