Cumberland/Salem Health and Wellness Alliance Launches Web-based Database

Cumberland/Salem Health and Wellness Alliance (CSHWA) is paving the way for a healthier and better-informed community with the addition of a database on its Web site that tracks a multitude of health trends
By: CSHWA
 
June 18, 2012 - PRLog -- Database allows for comparison of data across the country

VINELAND, NJ (June 18, 2012)— The Cumberland/Salem Health and Wellness Alliance (CSHWA) is paving the way for a healthier and better-informed community with the addition of a database on its Web site that tracks a multitude of health trends in both counties for comparison to state and national data.

Carolyn Heckman, VP of Government Relations for South Jersey Healthcare, said the site was developed to gather information about a variety of factors that influence public health. Its goal is to improve the health and quality of life for area residents by promoting transparency and best practice sharing.

The Web site database was developed in partnership with Healthy Communities Institute (HCI).  The Institute tracks more than 100 health and quality-of-life indicators across the country using local, state and federal data.

“The Web site has been developed as a one-stop source for data and information about community health and the social and environmental determinants of health, such as socio-economic status, housing, availability of healthy foods and air quality in our area,” Heckman said.

To get health-related information, individuals can visit the "Data" tab at the Web site -  http://gethealthycumberlandsalem.org - for a variety of health topics to access local programs, events and other available community resources.  Once inside the HCI database, there are several options that provide up-to-date information;

Community Dashboard:  Allows users to explore reports on a variety of health and quality of life indicators.

Disparities Dashboard:  Use the Disparities Dashboard to view data broken out by racial, ethnic, age, and gender groups to identify disparities within the population.

Demographics:  Use the Demographics profiles to explore demographic elements within the population.

Healthy People 2020 Tracker:  See how we are doing in comparison to the national Healthy People 2020 goals.

Reporting Tools:  Use the Report Assistant to quickly integrate site content into reports that can be shared or saved, or use the Indicator Comparison Report to view multiple indicators across available locations.

Promising Practices:  A  database of Promising Practices and strategies from communities across the country to identify potential programs and interventions to improve health and quality of life indicators.

Report Center:  View reports and documents related to health and wellness in Cumberland and Salem Counties.

Residents interested in researching data and statistics on premature births, for instance, can check the information listed under the links, located on the right-hand side of the page. The database returns information that shows the percentage of births in the two counties with less than 37 weeks of completed gestation.

“Having a portal that combines the latest news, the events in our community, the most current data, best practices, as well as programs and services, all organized by topic, makes it easy for people to connect a need with possible solutions,” said Carl W. Kirstein, Cumberland County Freeholder Director.

Visitors to the site will find a variety of subsections relevant to Cumberland and Salem counties with resources and topics that cover all matters of public health, including the “Healthy People 2020 Tracker.”

“We have a series of health targets for our communities to meet by 2020,” Kirstein said. “For example, smokers still account for 24.9% of the population in Cumberland County. Reducing that to 12% over the next 8 years would give us a much healthier community.”

Comparison of Cumberland and Salem data to other counties in the state, as well as to those in the nation, helps provide a data-based report card to see areas in the county that need improvement.

“Comparisons provide perspective that allow us to see our achievements and challenges, and to get a context for health issues that we all face when we see our data in relation to other parts of New Jersey or the country,” Nancy Gerrity, Health Officer for Salem County.

The site also provides community partners with information to target programs and services, as well as giving community health leaders the ability to monitor the impact of those programs. In this way, government and public health officials are better able to assess the progress of community health initiatives and programs.

“Informed residents are their own best health advocates,” Gerrity said.

About CSHWA
The Cumberland/Salem Health & Wellness Alliance was formed in 2010 to provide all residents of Cumberland County an increased awareness and understanding of healthy living. The Alliance supports programs and resources for nutrition education, portion control, obesity control, fitness and physical activity, neonatal nutrition and access to healthy foods. Partners of the CSHWA include: South Jersey Healthcare; Cumberland County; CompleteCare Health Network; Cumberland County 4-H; Cumberland County College; Cumberland County Schools; Cumberland County Workforce Investment Board; Cumberland Development Corporation; Cumberland County Guidance Center; Cumberland County Technical Education Center; Cumberland Cape Atlantic YMCA; Cumberland/Salem Health Department; FamCare, Inc.; Gateway Community Action Partnership; NJ AHEC; Rutgers Food Innovation Center; The CEO Group; United Way of Cumberland County; Vineland City Health Department.

For more information visit http://www.gethealthycumberlandsalem.org.
End
Source:CSHWA
Email:***@callpm.com Email Verified
Tags:Hci, Cumberland County, South Jersey Healthcare, Medical Database
Industry:Healthcare
Location:United States
Account Phone Number Verified     Disclaimer     Report Abuse
Performance Marketing News
Trending
Most Viewed
Daily News



Like PRLog?
9K2K1K
Click to Share