CHAI Child Health Data Lab

Compassion inspires us, but data guides us.

From the policies we promote to the programs we develop, the work of our Child Health Data Lab informs everything we do at the Child Health Advocacy Institute.

Our data scientists use an evidence-based approach to identify and track trends in population health. They’re behind the scenes monitoring DC kids’ greatest health needs through:

Big data analysis
Interactive maps
Community input

CHAI’s Data Lab is also a leading partner in the DC Healthy Communities Collaborative. Its unique pediatric insights are a key component of the citywide group’s Community Health Needs Assessment and DCHealthMatters.org.

Community Health Needs DCHealthMatters

Community Health Needs

Our Child Health Data Lab is a founding partner of the District of Columbia Healthy Communities Collaborative (DCHCC), a citywide collaborative of non-profit hospitals and community health centers.

The cooperative conducts a community health needs assessment for Washington, D.C. every three years. The report is an evidence-based evaluation of community assets and issues developed through quantitative and qualitative data analyses.

Working with our communities, the 2016 Community Health Needs Assessment was used to identify priority health needs in our city. The four priority areas include:

• Health literacy
• Mental health
• Place-based care
• Care coordination

The Collaborative commits to working jointly with our community partners to address these needs in a community-engaged, measurable fashion that will move D.C. closer to the state of health equity. Our efforts are documented and disseminated in a data-driven community health improvement plan.

Download the 2017-2019 Community Health Improvement Plan

Download the 2016 Community Health Needs Assessment

Appendices for the 2016 Community Health Needs Assessment

Download the 2014-2016 Community Health Improvement Plan

Download the 2013 Community Health Needs Assessment

DCHealthMatters

The DC Health Matters portal, at DCHealthMatters.org, is a comprehensive online resource for community health stakeholders.

The site provides:

DC health indicators and related resources
Tools to understand and act on local health issues
Promising practices, highlighting successful local, state, and national initiatives
Information on funding opportunities
Links to local resources

Made possible by a grant from the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, DCHealthMatters.org is helping community groups move from knowledge to action, set goals, and evaluate progress. It’s a “living” project that will evolve along with our dynamic community.