How does assessment result in public health impact?
Several Assessment Initiative states have documented ways in which local community health assessments, or data disseminated through state health department systems, have generated positive changes (e.g., an increase in legislative advocacy, additional funding, development of a new program, or a necessary reallocation of services to target the identified health conditions). The following examples are from Missouri. • The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services developed an integrated data warehouse and an Internet-based, interactive query system (Missouri Information for Community Assessment [MICA]) for disseminating health data to users in local health jurisdictions. In the fall of 2001, data generated from this system was presented to the Missouri Health Foundation, a group created from the conversion of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Missouri from nonprofit to for-profit status. The foundation’s board of directors was tasked with identifying health priorities to form the basis f
