Sunday, May 11, 2025
5/11/2025
Modernizing Environmental Public Health Tracking to Advance Environmental Health Surveillance - In 2019, Delaware launched its Environmental Public Health Tracking data portal, My Healthy Community (MHC). The site was developed using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Guide to Building an Environmental Public Health Tracking Network. The purpose of this application is to establish and maintain Delaware’s Environmental Public Health Tracking Program (EPHT), including its Tracking Portal (referred to as My Healthy Community (MHC)). Funding from this grant will enable Delaware to build capacity for environmental health surveillance through a Delaware specific EPHT program and support Delaware’s ability to link, overlay, and share environmental hazard, exposure, and health outcomes data through a comprehensive web-based tracking system and improve capacity to conduct environmental health surveillance activities while modernizing its information systems. Furthermore, Delaware’s application for funding proposes leveraging existing infrastructure within DPH and utilizing funding to enhance the capacity and expertise to further develop Delaware’s EPHT program. Our goal is to ensure the sustainability of our tracking network by fully integrating it into its statewide platform in which the Nationally Consistent Data and Measures (NCDMs) and other environmental health surveillance and planning tools are aligned seamlessly, maximizing resources. The MHC platform (https://myhealthycommunity.dhss.delaware.gov/home) is Delaware’s EPHT data platform and shares data on social vulnerability, community characteristics, environment, chronic diseases, mental health, substance use, healthy lifestyles, maternal and child health, health care utilization, and infectious diseases. MHC continues to expand in both data and functionality and implements an innovative methodology to facilitate the presentation of data, enabling communities, community organizations, and residents to explore health data at scales ranging from the state level down to the neighborhood or block group level. Drawing from a universe of data sources, the platform spans social determinants of health data and rigorously maintains confidentiality. Strategies for Year 1 and continued through Years 2 through 5 of the grant performance period will include activities that support: (A) Capacity Building with a focus on building Delaware’s infrastructure to expand and build Delaware’s EPHT infrastructure through activities that support (1) Surveillance; (2) Information Technology; (3) Partnerships; (4) Outreach / Communication; (5) Program Capacity; and (6) Program Evaluation Performance management; (B)Emerging Topics; and (C) Portal. Delaware proposes to (1) integrate and present environmental hazard, exposure, and health outcomes data to internal and external stakeholders and to realize the environmental and health components of MHC fully; (2) to continue to build and maintain Delaware’s informatics and IT infrastructure following national tracking network standards and participation in the CDC’s Tracking Program; and (3) empower Delaware communities, healthcare providers, and partners to make data-informed decisions to improve interventions by directing resources to areas most impacted by environmental health concerns.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).