PRESS RELEASE
AAPCHO Announces Launch of National Initiative to Support Data Modernization
CDC-funded Efforts Aim to Strengthen Capacity of Community Health Centers Providing Services to Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and Other Underserved Communities
November 26, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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WASHINGTON—The Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) today announced the launch of a new Community Health Hub for Innovations in Data Equity (CHIDE) national initiative to promote public health data interoperability and support community health centers as they modernize their data systems. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided $2M in funding as part of the Strengthening Public Health Systems and Services through National Partnerships to Improve and Protect the Nation’s Health or National Partners Cooperative Agreement (CoAg) program to support the initiative. The initiative will support the development and implementation of innovative solutions designed to improve the sharing of health data, including chronic and infectious diseases, across systems, enhance coordination and responsiveness, and ultimately contribute to better public health outcomes nationwide, especially in medically underserved communities. AAPCHO, with CHIDE partners, will provide tailored capacity building assistance to community health centers and other community-based organizations providing services to Asian American (AA), Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander (NH/PI), and other underserved communities.
“This funding allows us to focus on two crucial priorities: improving healthcare interoperability and ensuring that the health needs of AA, NH/PI, and other underserved communities are more accurately represented and addressed,” said Jeffrey B. Caballero, MPH, executive director of AAPCHO. “By continuing to invest in community health centers, including to strengthen their capacity to shed light on disaggregated data and amplify the stories of these populations, we can move toward a healthcare system that serves everyone equitably and is more grounded in health equity.”
The Community Health Hub for Innovations in Data Equity or CHIDE currently comprises of national partners AAPCHO, AllianceChicago, and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research working with community health centers and other public health partners and stakeholders [i.e., other community-based organizations; State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial organizations; Primary Care Associations and Health Center Controlled Networks; electronic health record (EHR), electronic case reporting (eCR), and population management vendors and stakeholders; public health government agencies; businesses]. Together, CHIDE’s national network of community health centers and other partners cover a wide diversity in racial/ethnic populations served, EHR vendors, eCR implementation readiness, geographic distribution, and play a key role in improving data modernization, interoperability, and health outcomes of underserved populations disproportionately impacted by deficits in many social drivers of health and health disparities in chronic and infectious diseases (e.g., diabetes, hepatitis b, childhood immunizations).
“Community health centers are a critical part of the U.S. public health infrastructure. By strengthening their ability to access and utilize disaggregated data, we can help them better serve populations experiencing the highest levels of health inequities,” said Christine Ko, PhD, associate director of research at AAPCHO and CHIDE project director. “The ability to collect and analyze disaggregated data is vital for telling the full story of the health needs of AA, NH/PI, and other underserved communities. This initiative is about more than just numbers; it’s about understanding the real, lived experiences of people in these communities and creating solutions that truly meet their needs.”
For more information about the Community Health Hub for Innovations in Data Equity or CHIDE, visit:
https://aapcho.org/chide.
To learn more about CDC’s National Partners CoAg program program, visit:
https://www.cdc.gov/public-health-gateway/php/funding/national-partners-cooperative-agreement.html.
About AAPCHO
AAPCHO is a national association of community health organizations dedicated to promoting advocacy, collaboration and leadership that improves the health status and access of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. For more information on AAPCHO, please visit www.aapcho.org.
Contact
Beverly Quintana, (510) 272-9536, bquintana@aapcho.org