5231.0: Wednesday, November 15, 2000 - Board 10

Abstract #2781

Using Secondary Data Sources for Evaluating Foundation Grantmaking and Developing Community Health Policy

Shiloh Turner, MPA, Program Department, The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati, One West Fourth St., Ste. 512, Cincinnati, OH 45202, 513-241-1400, X25, sturner@healthfoundation.org

Objective:

This study evaluates the needs of the communities served by The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati and tracks the effectiveness of the grantmaking efforts targeted at those needs. The foundation uses trend data from the BRFSS, MEPS, YRBS and other secondary data sources to examine state and nationwide trends. The foundation supplements this national and state data with county data generated by a local computer-aided telephone interview health status survey in an attempt to cross jurisdictional boundaries to provide a clear picture of the greatest unmet health needs in the 20 counties (covering counties in 3 states- Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana), within the foundation's service area. These data also provide baseline measures for program effectiveness within the community at large as well as indicators within individual programs funded. The data collected are primarily geared around the foundation grantmaking areas: Primary Care Providers to the Poor, School-Based Child Health Interventions, Substance Abuse and Severe Mental Illness. Results of the study reveal higher incidence rates among many indicators in the Greater Cincinnati area than those of the state or the nation, specifically among some geographic and demographic subpopulations such as the urban African-American population and the rural Appalachian population.

Conclusion:

The information provided by the secondary data sources allows the foundation to be a strategic grantmaker and track its efforts over time. It also provides key information to communities, allowing them to create data-driven programs to address their community's health needs.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participant in this session will be able to: 1. Have knowledge of free or inexpensive and readily available secondary data sources available at the county, state and national levels for community health status and program development and benchmarking. 2. Construct a program evaluation using national indicators for increased data comparability and standardization. 3. Articulate a program's effectiveness to potential funders, (public and private) clients and policymakers

Keywords: Data Collection, Evaluation

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

The 128th Annual Meeting of APHA