Healthy Northeast Ohio Welcomes Lake and Summit Counties to its Population Health Website

Healthy Northeast Ohio, the online resource for regional population health data in Northeast Ohio, is happy to announce new partnerships with Lake and Summit counties. These additions expand the reach of Healthy Northeast Ohio to seven counties in the region, providing free access to population health data with nearly 250 indicators from more than 30 data sources, along with evidence-based practices and information about regional health resources and activities. The regional sharing of data among partners through Healthy Northeast Ohio helps to expand community health knowledge and improve population health efforts.

Through Healthy Northeast Ohio, new partners in Lake and Summit counties will be able to:

• View over 250 demographics variables available at the state, county and zip code levels
• Access more than 225 health and quality-of-life data indicators
• Map and visualize data, and generate tailored data reports
• Examine zip-code and census-tract level maps of socioeconomic need
• Browse a database of over 2,000 evidence-based practices and programs
• Visit county-specific pages with local data, priorities, health improvement strategies and resources
• Track progress towards county goals
• Utilize a community health needs assessment creation tool

“Summit County Public Health is excited to be a part of this work,” said Donna Skoda, health commissioner for Summit County Public Health. “We know how important shared goals are to community health improvement and this opportunity allows our partners to see how we are accomplishing this, not only at a county level, but at a regional level as well.”

The Healthy Northeast Ohio region includes Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit counties. Healthy Northeast Ohio’s repository of population health data allows for hospitals, public health departments, community-based organizations and philanthropic agencies to work collaboratively to improve community health outcomes. Launched in 2019, Healthy Northeast Ohio is a joint effort between The Center for Health Affairs and the Cuyahoga County Board of Health and is funded through a grant from the HealthComp Foundation.

“The Lake County General Health District is pleased to partner with Healthy Northeast Ohio,” said Ron Graham, health commissioner of Lake County General Health District. “This platform brings secondary data together, allowing for consistent comparisons for public health practitioners and the general public.”

“Healthy Northeast Ohio is pleased to welcome Lake and Summit counties to the platform,” said Patricia Terstenyak, MPH, director of community health for The Center for Health Affairs. “We continue to appreciate the community health efforts made by all of the partners in the seven-county region.”

In the coming weeks, county-specific training webinars will be offered to familiarize partners with the new content and features in order to optimize their utilization of the site. The trainings will be held on Feb. 18 for Lake County and on Feb. 23 for Summit County. The webinars are free and open to all but registration is required.

About The Center for Health Affairs

With a rich history as the nation’s first regional hospital association and a mission to impact medical, social and economic health and well-being, The Center for Health Affairs convenes 37 hospital and healthcare organizations along with community partners across 10 counties in Northeast Ohio. With a dedicated and consistent history dating back over 100 years, The Center aims to enhance the effectiveness of the healthcare community and the health of the communities it serves by providing expertise, resources and solutions to address the challenges currently being faced by the region’s healthcare providers. The Center’s efforts focus on areas in which hospitals and their communities can benefit from a regional approach, including emergency preparedness; behavioral health; public policy and advocacy; finance and reimbursement; and social determinants of health. Through its business affiliates, CHAMPS Group Purchasing and The Essentials Group, The Center provides a broad level of professional services to its members. For more, visit neohospitals.org.