Rhode Island Tracking Program

Website: http://health.ri.gov/programs/detail.php?pgm_id=1123
Email: peter.dipippo@health.ri.gov

Mission:

The mission of the Rhode Island (RI) Tracking Program is to translate environmental and public health data into meaningful information and increased knowledge and apply that knowledge to improve community health.

Quick Stats:

• Rhode Island is 1,214 square miles in size with a population of just over 1,050,000. This puts the state just behind New Jersey in terms of population density.
• Rhode Island earns its reputation as the Ocean State with over 400 miles of coastline and a maximum elevation of only 812 feet.
• Dense urban populations and growing suburbs mean that the environment has the potential for major impacts on the health of RI residents.
• The state has a long history of manufacturing and its waterways were once heavily contaminated with industrial waste. Major strides have been made in cleaning up Narragansett Bay and local neighborhoods, but legacy pollutants remain.

Milestones:

Important events and achievements of the tracking program

Unique Data:

In addition to the set of standard data collected and displayed by all state and local tracking programs, individual programs may host data that are important to their populations.

• KIDSNET Child Health Information System
• HealthFacts RI
• Rhode Island’s All-Payer Claims Database
• Lead and Asbestos Database
• Licensing Database
• Beaches Data
• Drinking Water Watch
• Digital Health Department (Food Protection)

Accomplishments:

Addressing Community Cancer Concerns: Residents living near the airport in Warwick, RI expressed concern about cases of cancer in their neighborhood and possible connections to air pollution from the airport. The RI Tracking Program analyzed cancer data from the upwind and downwind side of the airport. They determined that socioeconomic factors and smoking were more likely indicators of cancer risk than air quality.

Keeping Outdoor Workers Safe in the Heat: RI Tracking partnered with the state Climate Change and Health Program and the state Occupational Safety and Health Administration consultancy to develop an awareness campaign addressing risk to outdoor workers on high-heat days. The partner group used Tracking data to identify vulnerable populations and to target the timing of messages. Prevention messages aired on radio and television stations during high-heat days. The messages were also shared during Bristol’s Fourth of July parade.

Greening Schoolyards: Schools located in areas with low tree canopy often lack outdoor green spaces where children can play and learn safely out of the sun, have hotter classrooms, and are subject to excessive heat for children when walking to and from school. RI Tracking partnered with the Climate Change and Health program to distribute small grants to three Health Equity Zones and their partners to complete projects to help cool schoolyards, address inequities in greenspace and shade, build climate resilience, and educate students and teachers on the importance of trees, shade, and clean air for health. Projects included tree plantings, installing shade structures, and engaging students and the community.

Establishing the Rhode Island Healthy Air Collaborative: The Rhode Island Tracking, Climate Change and Health, and Asthma programs partnered with the American Lung Association to create the Healthy Air Collaborative and educate Rhode Islanders about the connection between air pollution and lung health. The partnership resulted in creation of a Rhode Island Healthy Air fact sheet, mailing of 300+ healthy air resource packets to Rhode Island schools, three community screenings of Unbreathable: The Fight for Healthy Air, a postcard mailing with asthma information to 30,000+ households, and an article in the Providence Journal. Social media posts that directed readers to educational resources were geo-targeted to highly impacted counties on poor air quality days, and posts about asthma and available resources were geo-targeted to highly impacted ZIP codes.