Healthy North Texas: Our New Community Health Resource

What an exciting start to 2011 for the Community Health Division! As the director of Population and Public Health Research, it’s a constant adventure to find ways to improve population health through data and information. I am excited to announce the launch of our community health website this month, Healthy North Texas! Through the support of local hospitals and community organizations, and with the efforts of our fabulous Community Health Collaborative, we are excited to bring an online, web-based health information system for North Texans.

Assessing the vitality of our community involves more than health. Understanding local access to food, shelter, transportation, clean air, clean water, education and physical safety are all important factors. With information on health, public safety, environment and education, Healthy North Texas is a comprehensive resource for community residents. Want to know how North Texas ranks against the Healthy People 2020 goals? Healthy North Texas can help. Looking for an evidenced-based program to address the needs of a target population? Healthy North Texas has you covered. Need to create a data report with information on community health? Healthy North Texas can generate them.

We invite planners, policy makers and residents to use this site as a tool for collaboration and advocacy. By understanding key community facts, Healthy North Texas provides a road map for improvement by highlighting where we’ve been, where we are and where we need to go. Click on the Community Health Page for more information and let’s get started!

Summer Wright Collins, M.P.H.
scollins@dfwhcfoundation.org