One of the best parts of my work with the United Health Foundation’s America’s Health Rankings® team is sharing our data with others. I know the work we do to measure health helps state and community leaders design programs that truly improve the health of their constituencies.
Later this month, I will be traveling to Washington, D.C., for the Community Indicators Consortium 2014 Impact Summit. There, I’ll join Foundation partners – the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), the National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH), Tulane University and MaineHealth, to present how we are working together to put America’s Health Rankings data into action and drive improvements in population health.
An example of this type of collaboration is a program that began in May 2013 between the United Health Foundation and ASTHO to improve health outcomes around diabetes, obesity, infant mortality and/or smoking in five states: Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Rhode Island. We’re starting at this “Learning Collaborative” at a local level, working with each public health department, and community coalitions to identify best practices and lessons learned around efforts to move the needle in those health outcome areas. These findings will then be shared with partners throughout the states so they can be incorporated into their efforts for state-wide change. ASTHO will collect and share the work of our state partners with its members across the country, providing them with an invaluable resource. All Learning Collaborative states have already made great strides in their respective areas. I am eager to see how each state’s rank will reflect the learnings that have come out of this program with each coming year of the America’s Health Rankings report.
While at the CIC Impact Summit, I hope to hear more examples and anecdotes from others who have used data to improve health in a measurable way. These events are always a great opportunity to share and learn, and as America’s Health Rankings approaches its 25th anniversary, I remain inspired by how many people care so deeply about their state’s health. We all have a role to play in improving the health of our nation, and I am glad that America’s Health Rankings is helping steer our efforts and measure our progress.
Blog Author
Shelly Espinosa, MPH
As Director, Community Affairs for the United Health Foundation, Shelly works to develop relationships and programs to further enhance the Foundation’s mission. Established by UnitedHealth Group in 1999, United Health Foundation is a nonprofit, private foundation that provides helpful information to support decisions that lead to better health outcomes and healthier communities. The Foundation also supports activities that expand access to quality health care services for those in challenging circumstances and partners with others to improve the well being of communities.
Prior to joining United Health Foundation, Shelly spent four years with Target in their community relations department. As Manager, Community Relations, she was responsible for Target’s national social services programs and for consulting with executive teams throughout Target to build and execute their community relations plans. Prior to Target, Shelly was State Director of Program Services for the Minnesota Chapter of the March of Dimes.
Shelly received a B.A. in community health education from the University of Northern Iowa and a Master of Public Health in maternal and child health from the University of Minnesota.