Mercy Health Introduces Community Data Hub for Public Health

Mercy Health has released a Community Health Data Hub to provide public health stakeholders, community organizations, and residents access to county-level health data, according to reporting from The Sentinel-Tribune.

Stakeholders can download data from the hub for program expansion and reporting, public health education, mission advancement, and partnership development.

The resource aggregates millions of publicly available data points across 50 health and social topic areas. Available publicly online via computer or phone, the hub aims to allow individuals to review and compare health and health-related data across time and communities.

“Mercy Health has long used data to help develop strategies that will have the most impact on improving health and well-being in our communities,” Jessica Henry, community health director at Mercy Health Toledo, said in a press release. “We hope this valuable resource will be helpful to others as they leverage data to tackle public health concerns facing our communities.”

In particular, the data hub allows users of all data literacy levels to better understand health conditions, health disparities, and social determinants of health (SDOH) to improve outcomes. The resource includes over 70 indicators that users can visualize in maps, charts, graphics, and tables.

By removing barriers to accessing data, Mercy Health aims to create an environment with a better understanding of community health to identify necessary resources for systemic change.

“I am so excited that Mercy Health has created and is sharing its Community Health Data Hub,” said Coleena Ali, tenant and landlord services manager at the City of Toledo Division of Housing and Community Development.

“There is a definite need for this information, and it can sometimes be challenging knowing where to obtain all the various data needed for decision-making or writing grants,” Ali added. “It is quite generous of Mercy Health to share this.”