Maternal and Child Health Care Data Readily Available
IDPH Public Health Community Map Updates

 

[July 15, 2019] 

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) proudly announces the addition of maternal and child health data to its Illinois Public Health Community Map. The Community Map features information about the quality of and access to health care in communities throughout Illinois, as well as highlights socioeconomic, geographic, and racial/ethnic disparities.

“The addition of maternal and child health data can help clinicians, health care administrators, community stakeholders, and legislators identify areas where additional community resources and/or education are needed,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “These data will ultimately help us improve maternal and child health outcomes.”

Data categories for maternal and child health include low birth weight, breastfeeding, prenatal care in the first trimester, smoking during pregnancy, and teen birth rate.

Other new data elements to the Community Map include alcohol-impaired driving deaths, uninsured individuals younger than 65 years, unemployed individuals 16 years and older who are looking for work, and children younger than 18 years living in poverty.

IDPH is also updating asthma, behavioral health, cardiovascular, diabetes, emergency department visits, heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, and readmission data.

IDPH promotes the use of open data as a platform for ideas, advocacy, planning, and policy. Increasing access to high quality, affordable health care for all Illinoisans, and eliminating disparities, are priorities. Data presented in the Community Map can be used to increase awareness of health issues in communities and determine health care resource needs.

The Illinois Public Health Community Map can be found on the IDPH website at http://www.health carereportcard. illinois.gov/map.

[Illinois Office of Communication and Information]