Community Information System for Brown County

Building a multidisciplinary data sharing system to fill service gaps and identify effective practices

Full Project Name:Community Information System: Linking Data to Improve HealthPrimary Community Organization:Brown County United WayPrimary Academic Partner:John Meurer, MD, MBA, Insitute for Health and EquityAward Amount:199921

Award Date

January2014

Project Duration:24 months

Project Description Narrative:

Limited system-level knowledge of communities can impede the effective mobilization and allocation of collaborative resources. However, the integration of data sets from electronic records can hold great promise for improving clinical quality and population health while reducing overall system costs. Recognizing this promise, partners in Brown County sought to utilize local community data to understand gaps in service usage, identify areas with multiple social issues, and support more sophisticated and widespread deployment of development screens.

Through Developing a Community Information System, project partners aim to integrate electronic records from diverse organizations ? such as data from three local hospital systems, schools, child protective services, parental support and home visitation programs, and more ? to develop a system that will break down silos and provide a platform upon which dedicated partners can track key indicators, collectively take action to positively impact outcomes, and observe results.

Community partners: Achieve Brown County, Aurora BayCare Medical Center, Bellin Health, Brown County Human Services, Brown County United Way, Family & Childcare Resources of N.E.W., Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin, Greater Green Bay Community Foundation, Green Bay Area Public School District, Hospital Sisters Health System, Howe Community Resource Center, Live 54218, Prevea Health, Nicolet National Bank, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

Additional MCW academic partners: Kwang Woo Ahn, PhD, Insitute for Health and Equity; Shi Zhao, Insitute for Health and Equity

Outcomes & Lessons Learned:

Constructed the Community Information System (CIS) infrastructure, developing standard operating policies as well as security and reporting procedures through the execution of data sharing agreements
Engaged with eight other data exchanges and systems leaders in Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania to share best practices and avoid inefficiencies encountered by other systems
Began monthly data uplaods and produced nine preliminary data analyses around priority issues for partners; one issue area led to community conversation and the development of an additional grant proposal to support the early identification and treatment of mental health needs for mothers and children, resulting in a $191,044 award from AHW
Produced a white paper detailing the project processes and results, disseminating to key partners
Leveraged over 2,100 in-kind hours from partners