Resolutions

A Resolution Permitting of Sharing Data for Purposes of Quality Improvement

Download the Data Sharing Resolution Document.

WHEREAS, an efficient and effective operating public health system provided by and through the local health departments, using evidence-based strategies, will reduce the burden of chronic disease states, improve the overall health and social determinants, and reduce health care costs in the future; and

WHEREAS, all LHD, DPH, and CHFS works are funded by public money and subject to the provisions of Open Records laws;

WHEREAS, there is a need to identify resources to support and sustain population health initiatives, thus enabling local health departments to have maximum impact on the health and well-being of the communities they serve; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services created a framework to transform to a 21st century public health infrastructure, entitled Public Health 3.0; and

WHEREAS, one of the recommendations of Public Health 3.0 is local health departments should have access to timely, reliable and actionable data in order to guide focus, and assess the impact of prevention initiatives; and

WHEREAS, the Department for Public Health requires local health departments to submit data in accordance with federal and state statutes, regulations, and/or program policy; and

WHEREAS, the Department for Public Health has one stop access to all local data sets; and

WHEREAS the term data includes, but not limited to, program participation information, financial reports, tax rates, de-identified client information, and

WHEREAS the policy of the current public health system in the Commonwealth does not allow for meaningful data sharing;

NOW THEREFORE, the Kentucky Health Departments Association supports making access to data review to all local health departments for the purpose of benchmarking, quality improvements and resource sharing opportunities.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT; the Department for Public Health, Cabinet for Health and Family Services, shall share all quarriable data including, but not limited to, data via an electronic system as that system allows.

This Resolution was approved by the membership of the Kentucky Health Department Association this 20th Day of November, 2018.