Moving Data to Action and the NAACHO Annual Conference

On July 10, 2013, hundreds of local public health officials convened in Dallas for the 2013 National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) Annual Conference. Themed, “Public Health by the Numbers. Our Story. Our Time. Our Future,” this year the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program was well represented. Many attendees and presenters at the conference had insights and reflections to share about the effort.  

The conference focused on moving from data to action with an emphasis on strong partnerships and leadership throughout. There was a strong focus on the many factors that influence health, and a general acknowledgement that it takes efforts around early childhood education, violence prevention, economic development, poverty reduction, and the other social determinants of health to create healthy, vibrant communities.

NACCHO conference attendees talked about how the Rankings & Roadmaps program has become a valuable tool in driving health improvement efforts in their counties. For example, in Cowlitz County, Washington, health officials are using the Rankings model to engage leaders from non-health related sectors demonstrating the benefits of cross-collaboration to improve health. The Tri-County Health Department in Colorado has used What Works for Health to explore its menu of evidence-informed approaches to address their health priorities. Additionally, others have used County Health Rankings in selecting sites to implement worksite wellness programs.