Foundations of Public Health: Assessment & Surveillance PDF Free Download
1 / 60
/60
100%
6/17/2025
1
Foundations of Public Health
Assessment & Surveillance
June 11, 2025
Using the chat or come off mute, please
share the following:
1) What was one thing that surprised you about your county’s data?
2) What is one area that you would like to better understand? (This might be
about what a measure means or the reasons for county’s data being
higher or lower than Kansas as a whole.)
1
2
6/17/2025
2
Session Objectives
•Learn and test specific features of data resource websites Kansas Health
Matters (KHM) and Kansas Information for Communities (KIC)
•Learn about specific experiences where data played a pivotal role in
effectively communicating public health messages.
•Discuss strategies for prioritizing data and translating it into accessible,
engaging narratives for stakeholders.
•Explore the role of public health professionals as "translators" of complex
data for audiences without a background in public health.
•Explore the Kansas Health Matters website to locate key public health
indicators relevant to real-world scenarios.
•Interpret local health data to identify needs, disparities, and opportunities
for action in a community context.
Overview of Assessment &
Surveillance Capability
3
4
6/17/2025
3
FPHS Capabilities for Assessment & Surveillance
•Ability to collect timely and sufficient foundational data to guide public health
planning and decision making at the state and local level, including the personnel
and technology that enable collection.
•Ability to collect, access, analyze, interpret, and use data from a variety of sources
including granular data and data disaggregated by geography (e.g., census tract,
zip code), sub-populations, race, ethnicity, and other variables that fully describe
the health and well-being of a community and the factors that influence health.
•Ability to assess and analyze disparities and inequities in the distribution of
disease and social determinants of health, that contribute to higher health risks
and poorer health outcomes.
•Ability to work with community partners to collect, report and use public health
data that is relevant to communities experiencing health inequities or ability to
support community-led data processes
Why Assessment & Surveillance Matters
•Understand what’s
happening in the
community
•Track trends over time to
spot problems early
•Use data to guide
decisions and actions
•Measure if what we’re
doing is working
Data Assessment
& Surveillance
Informed Decisions
Effective Resource Use
Problem Prioritization
Root Cause Identification
Evaluation of
Effectiveness
5
6
6/17/2025
4
What It Means For You/Your Role
•All roles in public health use data in
some way
•Data supports grants, planning, and
response to public questions
•Helps justify funding and inform
programs
•Local data builds trust and supports
decisions
•Data highlights disparities and drives
equity
•Knowing where to look is key
Agenda
•Engaging Kansas Community Health Data – Christy Smith
•Local Epi Spotlights – Ally Payne and Elizabeth Lawlor
•Data Dash: Discover, Interpret, Apply
7
8
6/17/2025
5
Engaging Kansas Community
Health Data
Christy Smith, PhD – Kansas Department of Health & Environment
Engaging Kansas Community Health Data
Christy Smith | March 26, 2025
9
10
6/17/2025
6
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
Engaging Kansas Community Health Data
A picture containing logo
Description automatically generated
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
KHM Project and Site Overview
Partnerships
• Aetna Better Health of Kansas
• Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas
• Community Care Network of Kansas
• Community Engagement Institute, Wichita State University
• Kansas Association of Local Health Departments (KALHD)
• Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE)
• KFMC Health Improvement Partners (KFMC)
• Kansas Health Institute (KHI)
• Kansas Hospital Association (KHA)
• K-State Research and Extension (KSRE)
• Sunflower Health Plan
• United Healthcare
• University of Kansas Medical Center
KS
Health
Matters
KHI
KDHE
KALHD
Aetna
WSUCEI
KSRE
KFMCKHA
ACMHCK
CCNK
Sunflower
United
KUMC
11
12
6/17/2025
7
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
KHM Project and Site Overview
Grant Proposal Writing
Program Evaluation
Community Health Needs Assessment
Community Health Improvement Planning
Research
Policymaker Engagement
Resources
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
KHM Project and Site Overview
13
14
6/17/2025
8
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
KHM Project and Site Overview
Features
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
KHM Assessment Tools
Go to Community Health Dashboards.
Click "Advanced Search" to create your own dashboard.
Load curated Disparities Dashboard.
Load curated Demographics Dashboard.
Load curated Key Health Indicators Dashboard
Load curated SDH Dashboard.
Load curated HP 2023 Progress dashboard.
Load interactive region map.
Load Health Equity dashboard.
Load Food Insecurity dashboard.
Load Mental Health dashboard.
Go to KDHE OD2A Dashboard.
15
16
6/17/2025
9
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
KHM Assessment Tools
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
KHM Assessment Tools
17
18
6/17/2025
10
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
KHM Assessment Tools
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
KHM Assessment Tools
19
20
6/17/2025
11
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
Index pages
KHM Assessment Tools
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
KHM Assessment Tools
21
22
6/17/2025
12
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
Community Health Dashboards
KHM Assessment Tools
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
KHM Assessment Tools
23
24
6/17/2025
13
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
KHM Assessment Tools
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
KHM Assessment Tools
25
26
6/17/2025
14
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
KHM Assessment Tools
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
Community Health Dashboards
KHM Assessment Tools
27
28
6/17/2025
15
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
Advanced Search: Build a Custom Dashboard
KHM Assessment Tools
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
Advanced Search: Build a Custom Dashboard
KHM Assessment Tools
29
30
6/17/2025
16
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
KHM Assessment Tools
Load Report Builder.
Load health assessment guidance.
Load data score tool guidance page.
Load How to Use Kansas Health Matters videos page.
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
KHM Assessment Tools
•KHM Home Page
•Data and Dashboards
•Social Determinants of Health
•KHM Indicator Details
•Disparities and Healthy People 2030
•Build a Customized Dashboard
•SocioNeeds Index Suite
•Report Builder
•Health Assessment and Improvement Tools
•Promising Practices
31
32
6/17/2025
17
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
Report Builder (not in live demo)
KHM Assessment Tools
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
Report Builder (not in live demo)
KHM Assessment Tools
33
34
6/17/2025
18
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
Report Builder (not in live demo)
KHM Assessment Tools
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
Report Builder (not in live demo)
KHM Assessment Tools
35
36
6/17/2025
20
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
KIC Data Query System
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
KIC Data Query System
39
40
6/17/2025
21
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
KIC Data Query System
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
KIC Data Query System
41
42
6/17/2025
22
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
KIC Data Query System
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
KIC Data Query System
43
44
6/17/2025
23
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
KIC Data Query System
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
KIC Data Query System
through
45
46
6/17/2025
24
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
KIC Data Query System
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
KIC Data Query System
47
48
6/17/2025
25
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
Connecting to Local Public Health Data
A picture containing logo
Description automatically generated
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
Connecting to Local Public Health Data
•All Things Kansas (k-state.edu)
•Community Health Assessment - Kansas Public Health Collaborative (kphcollaborative.org)
•County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
•Cancer Data Dashboard | KDHE, KS
•Data Dashboards | KDHE, KS
•Public Health Statistics | KDHE, KS
•United For ALICE
Other Resources
49
50
6/17/2025
26
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
Connecting to Local Public Health Data
Thank You
Christy Smith
Vital and Health Statistics Data Analysis
Bureau of Epidemiology and Public Health Informatics
Kansas Department of Health and Environment
christina.smith@ks.gov
To protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans
Thank you/Questions
Connecting to Local Public Health Data
51
52
6/17/2025
27
Local Epi Spotlight
Ally Payne, MPH – City-Cowley County Health Department
DATA TELLS A STORY: USING PUBLIC
HEALTH TO CHANGE THE ENDING
Allyson Payne, MPH
City-Cowley County Health Department
Assistant Administrator/Epidemiologist
53
54
6/17/2025
28
-W. Edwards Deming
“WITHOUT DATA, YOU’RE
JUST ANOTHER PERSON
WITH AN OPINION.”
Part One:
Why Public Health Needs Storytellers
•Incidence & prevalence rates
Short Stories:
Snapshots that
spark
•Multi year trends, root cause
maps, lived experience quotes
Long Stories:
Systems that
Unfold
55
56
6/17/2025
29
Why the Storyteller
Role Matters
Translator-
turns stats
into plain
language
Part Two:
The Beginning of the Lead Story
57
58
6/17/2025
30
A Closer Look at
Cowley Kids:
Data Walk
Community Leaders:
Legacy Foundation
USD 470 Early Literacy Initiative
RISE Cowley
Funding Partners:
Kansas Health Foundation
Pathways to a Healthy Kansas
Kansas Association of Community
Foundations
Charles S. Mott Foundation
Analyzed By:
Kansas Health Institute
59
60
6/17/2025
31
Some Data
•More than ¾ of children in poverty in Cowley County live in single-parent
households.
Poverty
•All five Cowley County school districts have a higher percentage of students with
an individualized education plan (IEP) than Kansas overall.
Education
•1 in 4 Cowley County students has made a suicide plan.
Mental Health
•1 in 5 children in Cowley County is food insecure.
Hunger
•There are 31-40 children under the age of 3 for each childcare opening in
Cowley County.
Childcare
61
62
6/17/2025
32
Cowley ACTS (Addressing Challenges
Together)
Part Three: When the Culture is Ready
“The data sparked a reaction. The Health Department saw an opportunity.”- Tom
Langer, City-Cowley County Health Department
63
64
6/17/2025
33
Mission
Statement
Improving community health one
policy at a time using public health
considerations during the decision-
making process to prevent harmful
health impacts, promote healthy
lifestyles, and protect the
environment.
Part Four: From
Data to Action-
Building the
Foundation
65
66
6/17/2025
34
Storytelling
at Every
Level
Part Five:
Lessons
Learned &
Why This
Matters
1. Data opens doors, but
relationships keep them open.
2. Systemic change takes time.
3. Community readiness is
powerful.
67
68
6/17/2025
35
Why this matters:
Health equity lives in housing policy
Prevention starts long before symptoms appear
Local voices deserve data that reflects their lived reality
The Role of Public Health Today:
Interpreter- Translate complex data
Connector- Link sectors, build partnerships, and uplift voices
Advocate- Champion upstream solutions
Part Five: Continued
Part Six: Closing & Call to Action
Think of yourself as a storyteller Examine your community
What stories are waiting to be told?
69
70
6/17/2025
36
“The most powerful
person in the world
is the storyteller.”
-Steve Jobs
Allyson Payne, MPH
City-Cowley County Health Department
apayne@cowleycountyks.gov
Thank you!
71
72
6/17/2025
37
Local Epi Spotlight
Elizabeth Lawlor, MS – Johnson County Department of Health and Environment
73
74
6/12/2025
1
LOCAL EPI
my story
ABOUT ME
Undergrad in Biology
MS in Public Health, Microbiology, and
Emerging Infectious Diseases (not
epidemiology)
16-year career as an epidemiologist at
the state and local levels
And full disclosure….
1
2
6/12/2025
2
HOW I STARTED
3
4
6/12/2025
3
5
6
6/12/2025
4
7
8
6/12/2025
5
JOHNSON COUNTY
000000 00
9
10
6/12/2025
6
Health
11
12
6/12/2025
7
Healthcare Access
Uninsured
13% 5%
High Poverty Low Poverty
13
14
6/12/2025
8
Unable to afford prescription
medication in the past year
12% 4%
High Poverty Low Poverty
Percentage of adults who do not
have a personal doctor
19% 14%
High Poverty Low Poverty
15
16
6/12/2025
9
17
18
6/12/2025
10
19
20
6/12/2025
11
21
22
6/12/2025
12
23
24
6/12/2025
13
25
26
6/12/2025
14
27
28
6/12/2025
15
-Know your story
◦You don’t have to use ALL the data – pick a few key points that you can put
together in a logical way that brings people along with you
-Don’t rely on the default graphs from Microsoft
- Talk about data in a way that people understand
- Tell people why it matters
-Phone a friend
-When presenting, have participants develop an elevator pitch
Lessons Learned
Data viz
https://stephanieevergreen.com/
29
30
6/12/2025
16
Interpretation
of the graph
(don’t make people
guess!)
31
32
6/12/2025
17
Reduce lines
and increase
white space
You don’t need
to include all
data labels
33
34
6/12/2025
18
Consistent
color coding
(across all
documents)
35
36
6/12/2025
19
-Canva – this is an easy to use graphic design platform that has a free version as
well as a discount for non-profits. We use this to make a lot of our graphics.
- PowerPoint – Don’t underestimate the ability to make graphics in PowerPoint.
- Johnson County Epi Reports (for different types of data viz):
-Food Insecurity Brief
-Infant Mortality and Stillbirths Report
-Excessive Alcohol Use Brief
-HealthHappensHereJoCo.com – Johnson County’s story telling CHA dashboard
OTHER RESOURCES
37
38
6/12/2025
20
Elizabeth Lawlor, MS
Director of Epidemiology
Johnson County Department of Health and Environment
39
6/17/2025
38
Data Dash: Discover, Interpret,
Apply
Data Dash: Discover, Interpret, Apply
75
76
6/17/2025
39
Reflection/Debrief
What’s one idea that
was new for you
today?
What concept do you
want to go learn more
about?
Evaluation
77
78
6/17/2025
40
Announcements
•Next Session is July 9 – Accountability & Performance Management
•Virtual
•Homework is in the folder online
79
