(Central Oregon)– Informed decisions start with good information, which is why the Central Oregon Health Council is excited to announce the launch of the Central Oregon Health Data website (centraloregonhealthdata.org). This is a free collection of high quality data for Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson, and northern Klamath counties. It offers general information such as population and demographics, health-focused topics like disease rates and mental health, and other measures on transportation, housing, food security, education, and more.
“We are eager to see the site put to use,” says Grants and Metrics Manager, Rebeckah Berry, who oversaw construction of the website. “Not everyone gets excited about data, but we hope everyone will be excited that we now have a common, reliable, locally maintained source.”
The Central Oregon Health Data website is a hybrid of national, state, and locally maintained data. “This is a collaborative effort toward public access to reliable information. It’s a byproduct of our region’s willingness to partner on actions that support better health and well-being for all”, says Berry. She thanked Channa Lindsay of Deschutes County Health Services, as well as the Central Oregon Early Learning Hub/Better Together, and the Central Oregon Research Coalition for their contributions. “We are hopeful this site can help our region make more informed decisions and investments based on sound data, as well as have up-to-date information that can help organizations create strong applications for grant opportunities.”
The website has been over a year in the making, and besides being a central source of information open to the public, it will also serve to streamline Central Oregon’s Regional Health Assessments and track the measures within the Regional Health Improvement Plan. The Central Oregon Health Data website will allow these reports to be as current as possible and can show changes and trends over time.
The data site is sponsored by the Central Oregon Health Council, a health care nonprofit organization who has invested over $20 million into the community in the last four years. “We want to measure progress on the efforts our partners are making,” says Executive Director Donna Mills, “and we need the data to show it. We also want to see more money come into our community, and it’s hard to write good grants without good data to back them up.”
About the Central Oregon Health Council: The Central Oregon Health Council works to improve health care while both lowering the cost and raising patient and provider satisfaction. Beyond this, they provide visionary leadership to improve community health and prevent unnecessary health care. Visit www.cohealthcouncil.org for more information.
