AcademyHealth Public Health Systems Research Interest Group Meeting Public Health Data Panel National Association of Local Boards of Health Local Board of Health National Profile Charles E. Moon, Ph.D. NALBOH Mission To prepare and strengthen boards of health, empowering them to promote and protect the health of their communities through education, training, and technical assistance. Purpose of the Local Board of Health National Profile • Updating demographic information • Summarizing the composition and organizational • • • • structures of boards Identifying roles, responsibilities, and authorities of board members Determining boards’ telecommunication infrastructure Identifying concerns and needs Charting changes and trends since the 1997 survey Background and History • NALBOH was created in 1992 • Public Health Practice Program Office of the Centers for • • • Disease Control and Prevention recognized need for additional information about local boards of health CDC and NALBOH planned the National Profile of Local Boards of Health CDC conducted the survey and the findings were reported by the CDC and NALBOH in 1997 NALBOH received grant from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to build an on-going data collection and analysis process for boards of health, including a 2nd profile planned for 2008 Revision of the 1997 National Profile of Local Boards of Health • Marie M. Fallon, NALBOH Executive Director, • • • • established Profile work group Work group received charge to review 1997 Profile vis-à-vis purpose of 2008 Profile Work group recommended additions, deletions, and changes via conference calls and emails Validity and reliability standards were used to evaluate retained, revised, and new items Final draft of 2008 Profile reviewed by NALBOH staff and others as well as the work group Number of Items in 2008 Profile by Purpose • Demographics • Composition/Organization • Roles, Responsibilities, Authorities • Telecommunications Infrastructure • Concerns and Needs • Changes and Trends 9 72 45 8 46 58 Example of Items: Demographics • Which of the following best describes the geographic jurisdiction served by your board? (Check one) _County _City _Multi-County District/Region _City-County _Town/Township _Other (Specify)___________________________ Example of Items: Composition and Organization • How often does your board meet? _Monthly _Quarterly _Other (Specify)_____ • Are board vacancies publicly announced? _Yes _No _Does not apply • How does your board receive community input? (Check all that apply) _Public hearings _Public comments at each board meeting _Citizen complaints _Other (Specify)____________ Example of Items: Roles, Responsibilities, and Authorities • Please answer the following questions about a. b. c. the functions and activities of your board. Does the board of health: Hire/fire the health director/officer/CEO? Yes No Approve health agency budget? Yes No Establish public health policies? Yes No Example of Items: Telecommunications Infrastructure • Does the board have an official website? _Yes _No If yes, answer the following: a. What is the web address? (e.g., www.nalboh.org)____________________ b. Are e-mail addresses listed for all board members? _Yes _No Example of Items: Concerns and Needs • Indicate the degree to which your board needs training, information, or technical assistance in the following areas by checking the box that most accurately represents the degree of need. a. Conflict resolution and management _No need _Some need _A lot of need b. Obesity prevention _No need _Some need _A lot of need c. Creating a strategic plan _No need _Some need _A lot of need Time Line for 2008 Profile Project • September 2007-February 2008: Profile revision and • • • • refinement March 2008: Profile sent to all local board of health chairs in database April-June 2008: Surveys processed/preliminary cleaning & screening of data/follow-up with non-respondents July-September 2008: Exploratory data analysis & data mining/interview random sample of non-respondents October-December 2008: Initial & final drafts of report Data Use Policy • Requests for data from the 1997 National Profile • • • of Local Boards of Health were processed by the CDC NALBOH has never had a copy of the 1997 Profile data file There has been no need for a data use policy until the 2008 Profile A data use policy is being written and should be ready by fall Preliminary and Final Reports • Preliminary report on the 2008 Profile will be given at NALBOH’s 16th Annual Conference in Madison, WI 22-24 July 2008 • Final report will be available by December 2008