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
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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
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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,
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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
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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
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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