prove healthcare licensing and As part of its push to collect and use data to CREATING A PUBLIC HEALTH
INNOVATION HUB IN RHODE ISLAND
complaints investigations, expand inform and drive public health decisions, To strengthen the integration of research
RIDOH aims for health improvement models of care delivery and healthcare RIDOH has been implementing and refining activities with public health, RIDOH
that focuses on health across the life payment focused on improved outcomes, technology solutions that are making it easier recently launched an Academic Center in
course – from birth to death. Among its and build a well-trained, culturally to manage health datasets and systems, and partnership with Brown University’s School of
goals for helping Rhode Islanders live competent, and diverse health system standardize procedures and quality. The Public Health. The RIDOH Academic Center
healthier lives are: reducing obesity in workforce to meet Rhode Islanders’ agency is also using technology to provide is aimed at building healthy communities and
children and adults; reducing chronic needs. and coordinate analytic capacity, expand the creating a hub of public health research and
dissemination of information, and ensure that innovation in Rhode Island. The alliance makes
its services and products are effective and RIDOH an “academic health department,” or a
timely. teaching health department — the public health
to support independent living; and PREVENT, investigate, control, and
eliminate health hazards and emergent
threats. For example, to help detect overprescribing, as equivalent of a teaching hospital affiliation that
supporting Rhode Islanders in ongoing RIDOH is tasked with reducing well as drug diversion or fraud related to the formalizes the relationship between medical
recovery and rehabilitation. communicable diseases such as HIV prescription of controlled substances, RIDOH schools and hospitals.
and Hepatitis C, addressing substance has established a prescription drug monitoring ENSURE access to safe food, water,
and healthy environments in all
communities. use disorders, improving emergency program that allows any healthcare provider to The RIDOH Academic Center has four
response and prevention in communities, know what their patients are being prescribed components:
and minimizing exposure to traumatic by logging into a statewide database. This RIDOH works with other organizations experiences such as bullying, violence, helps to better track the use of controlled and agencies throughout the state to: and neglect. Program, which drives the continuous
substances; ensure that controlled substances quality improvement training that
are being used for legitimate medical purposes; staff require.
Within this framework, RIDOH established five strategies for achieving its broad goals:
1
PROMOTE healthy living for all through
all stages of life.
illnesses such as diabetes and asthma;
promoting the health of mothers and
4
their children; promoting senior health
2
increase access to safe, affordable
5
report suspected drug diversion to law
with health standards in recreational ANALYZE and communicate data to
improve the public’s health. and drinking water supplies; reduce Data plays an important part in driving controls against drug diversion.
environmental toxins; and improve the improvements in public health. RIDOH availability of affordable, healthy housing encourages health information and safe living conditions. technology adoption among the state’s
healthy food; increase compliance
healthcare providers as a means for data
3
DATA-DRIVEN
PROMOTE a comprehensive health
system that a person can navigate,
access, and afford. collection and quality improvement,
The agency is committed to improving public health surveillance and action. The
access to care that extends to physical agency also is working to develop and
health, oral health, and behavioral health implement standards for data collection
systems. In addition, RIDOH aims to im- to improve data reliability and usability,
and is working to enhance and develop
public health data systems to support
enforcement; and maintain operational
1
2
The Workforce and Career Development
Program, which aims to instill a culture of
learning within the Department.
RIDOH is also working on developing a state-
wide care provider directory to improve access
The Continuous Quality Improvement
3
The Public Health Education Academy,
to a continuum of care. Another statewide ini- which formalizes partnerships with Rhode
tiative will bring together the Office of Health Island academic institutions and develops a
and Human Services, the health insurance com- cadre of Public Health Scholars.
missioner, the enrollment exchange and others
4
The Public Health Research Laboratory,
in an effort to transform the entire healthcare which drives public health research to
system from a volume-based system to a value- advance innovative public health outcomes.
based one, focused on population health and
social and environmental determinants.
and, more generally, to improve health
literacy among Rhode Island residents.
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Stronger Together
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