Carolinas Community Health Institute (CCHI) obtained funding through Health Research Services Administration (HRSA) to develop, implement, and evaluate community focused healthcare initiatives. These initiatives address the health status and unique healthcare needs of specifically identified rural and urban communities in the Carolina. CCHI was charged with focusing on four different federally designated Health Professional Shortage Areas within the central Carolinas, one of these being Cleveland County, NC. One of the primary initiatives of CCHI has been to conduct a comprehensive community health evaluation that included an assessment of the environmental health issues of each community. Through the compilation of various local, state and national databases, CCHI was able to address five major areas of environmental health: water quality, air quality, land use, environmental assets and environmental nuisances. A major component of the environmental assessment has been analysis and mapping of data such as watersheds, water recharge areas, EPA regulated facilities and animal farming operations using Arc/Info 7.2 and ArcView 3.2 software. Landscape-level environmental assessments using a GIS can aid in defining areas where environmental health positively influences or poses a threat to the overall health of the community’s population, such as EPA facilities in groundwater recharge areas or protected areas surrounding surface water intakes for drinking water. The detailed analysis presented will aid in the development of programs that can target specific needs of this population. Once community needs and resource assessments have been conducted, community leaders and CCHI staff can utilize this data to determine priorities for targeted interventions.
Learning Objectives: N/A
Keywords: Geographic Information Systems, Health Assessment
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: ESRI, NC CGIA
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.