Providence one of four cities chosen for national health data initiative

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island’s capital city is one of four cities in the nation chosen by the National Resource Network and New York University for a pilot program that uses city-level health data to help shape policy decisions and public health investments.

A news release from the National Resource Network, which is a program of the White House’s Strong Cities Strong Communities Initiative, said it will partner with the NYU Langone Medical Center and NYU Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service to launch the Municipal Health Data for American Cities Initiative, which also includes Flint, Mich.; Kansas City, Kan.; and Waco, Texas.
The cities were selected for the pilot project partially because of participation in the National Resource Network and their commitment to addressing local health challenges, the release said.
Providence was described by the network as the state’s “largest and most ethnically diverse community,” whose residents face health challenges including “high chronic disease and related risk factor burdens that disproportionately affect Providence’s low-income residents and communities of color.”
The release said that Providence plans to focus on high-risk, vulnerable groups, and use strategies to expand the reach and health impact of improvements across sectors. A 10-year financial plan will be developed, both to balance the budget and improve the quality of life for residents.

Health measures will be developed based on input from city leaders, federal data providers, data experts at NYU’s Center for Urban Science and Progress and other experts in urban health metrics. Measures will be finalized by April; an interactive website will be available this September.
The pilot program is being funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

“In our work with nearly 50 cities across the nation, we have learned that city governments want to improve the physical health of their residents as much as the fiscal health of their cities,” David Eichenthal, executive director of National Resource Network, said in a statement. “But most health data in the United States is simply unavailable at the city level. Working with four of our existing network cities and NYU, and with the strong backing of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Municipal Health Data for America’s Cities Initiatives will give local decision makers the data that they need to work to create healthier communities.”

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Said Dr. Marc Gourevitch, chair of the Department of Population Health at NYU Langone Medical Center, “Flint, Kansas City, Providence and Waco will have the chance to pioneer the use of health data specific to their municipality to better understand the health challenges they face and the steps they can take to improve the lives of their residents.”

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