6/13/2008
AcademyHealth Public Health
Systems Research Interest Group
Meeting
National Association of Local
Boards of Health
Public Health Data Panel
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
y g roles,, responsibilities,
p
, 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 onon-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
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
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6/13/2008
Number of Items in 2008 Profile by
Purpose
• Demographics
• Composition/Organization
• Roles,
Roles Responsibilities
Responsibilities, Authorities
• Telecommunications Infrastructure
• Concerns and Needs
• Changes and Trends
9
72
45
8
46
58
Example of Items: Composition and
Organization
• How often does your board meet?
_Monthly _Quarterly _Other (Specify)_____
• Are board vacancies publicly announced?
_Yes
Y _No
N _Does
D
nott apply
l
• 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:
Telecommunications Infrastructure
• Does the board have an official website?
_Yes
_No
If yyes,, answer the following:
g
a. What is the web address? (e.g.,
www.nalboh.org)____________________
b. Are ee-mail addresses listed for all board
members?
_Yes
_No
Example of Items: Demographics
• Which of the following best describes the
geographic jurisdiction served by your
board? (Check one)
_County _City _Multi
_Multi--County District/Region
_City--County _Town/Township _Other
_City
(Specify)___________________________
Example of Items: Roles,
Responsibilities, and Authorities
• Please answer the following questions about
the functions and activities of your board.
Does the board of health:
a Hire/fire the health director/officer/CEO?
a.
Yes
No
b. Approve health agency budget?
Yes
No
c. Establish public health policies?
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
C fli t resolution
l ti and
d managementt
_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
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6/13/2008
Time Line for 2008 Profile Project
• September 20072007-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
April
& screening of data/followdata/follow-up with nonnon-respondents
July--September 2008: Exploratory data analysis & data
July
mining/interview random sample of nonnon-respondents
October--December 2008: Initial & final drafts of report
October
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 2222-24 July
2008
• Final report will be available by December
2008
3