State Center for Health Statistics Division of Public Health NC Dept. of Health and Human Services.

State Center for Health Statistics

Division of Public HealthDivision of Public Health

NC Dept. of Health and Human ServicesNC Dept. of Health and Human Services

SCHS Vision Statement

The State Center for Health Statistics, by providing high-The State Center for Health Statistics, by providing high-quality information on the health of North Carolinians, quality information on the health of North Carolinians, will positively influence decision-making and health will positively influence decision-making and health policy, thereby improving the health of all our citizens. By policy, thereby improving the health of all our citizens. By making better use of our human and technical resources, making better use of our human and technical resources, we strive to provide health data to policy makers, we strive to provide health data to policy makers, researchers, and citizens as efficiently and quickly as researchers, and citizens as efficiently and quickly as possible. Internally, the State Center seeks to create a possible. Internally, the State Center seeks to create a better work environment, resulting in both successful better work environment, resulting in both successful employees and satisfied customers.employees and satisfied customers.

SCHS Provides:

A source of information for monitoring the A source of information for monitoring the health condition of North Carolinians health condition of North Carolinians

Analyses of important health issues, such as Analyses of important health issues, such as birth defects and infant mortalitybirth defects and infant mortality

A central collection site for information A central collection site for information about cancer, birth defects, births, deaths, about cancer, birth defects, births, deaths, and hospitalizations and hospitalizations

SCHS Provides:

Accurate and timely information for use in Accurate and timely information for use in setting health policy, planning prevention setting health policy, planning prevention programs, directing resources, and programs, directing resources, and evaluating the effect of health programs and evaluating the effect of health programs and services services

A safe and secure environment for its A safe and secure environment for its confidential recordsconfidential records

SCHS Responsibilities

Collecting dataCollecting data Producing reportsProducing reports Providing technical assistance to public health Providing technical assistance to public health

and human services program managersand human services program managers Research and evaluation of health issuesResearch and evaluation of health issues Maintaining a comprehensive collection of Maintaining a comprehensive collection of

health statistics to answer requests for health statistics to answer requests for information information

History of SCHS

Created as the NC Bureau of Vital Statistics Created as the NC Bureau of Vital Statistics by the State Legislature in 1913by the State Legislature in 1913

Evolved by 1980 into the State Center for Evolved by 1980 into the State Center for Health Statistics, with a mission of leading Health Statistics, with a mission of leading the way on health statistics initiativesthe way on health statistics initiatives

State Center for Health Statistics

Data are available through publications, Data are available through publications, presentations, our web site, and by request presentations, our web site, and by request to State Center staff.to State Center staff.

Data Available from SCHS

BirthsBirths DeathsDeaths Fetal deathsFetal deaths PregnanciesPregnancies Birth defectsBirth defects Cancer casesCancer cases Communicable diseasesCommunicable diseases Hospital dischargesHospital discharges

SCHS Publications

NC Vital Statistics, Volumes 1 and 2NC Vital Statistics, Volumes 1 and 2 Basic Automated Birth Yearbook Basic Automated Birth Yearbook

(BABYBOOK)(BABYBOOK) NC Detailed Mortality StatisticsNC Detailed Mortality Statistics NC Reported PregnanciesNC Reported Pregnancies SCHS StudiesSCHS Studies Statistical Briefs and PrimersStatistical Briefs and Primers NC Health Statistics Pocket GuideNC Health Statistics Pocket Guide

SCHS Units

Birth Defects Monitoring ProgramBirth Defects Monitoring Program Central Cancer RegistryCentral Cancer Registry Geographic AnalysisGeographic Analysis Statistical ServicesStatistical Services Operations, Quality Control, and Operations, Quality Control, and

AdministrationAdministration

SCHS Staff

1 Director1 Director 5 Managers5 Managers 5 Administrative and Operations Support Staff5 Administrative and Operations Support Staff 22 Field Staff and Quality Control Staff22 Field Staff and Quality Control Staff 27 Statisticians27 Statisticians 4 Applications Programmers, Computing 4 Applications Programmers, Computing

Consultants, and GIS SpecialistsConsultants, and GIS Specialists

Birth Defects Monitoring Program

Collects data on the incidence of major birth defects Collects data on the incidence of major birth defects in NC through field staff and selected data sourcesin NC through field staff and selected data sources

Responds to inquiries about the occurrence of birth Responds to inquiries about the occurrence of birth defects in specific communitiesdefects in specific communities

Provides data needed to help design, target, and Provides data needed to help design, target, and evaluate public health programsevaluate public health programs

Improves the delivery of services to children with Improves the delivery of services to children with special needs through identification and referral to special needs through identification and referral to appropriate servicesappropriate services

Central Cancer Registry

Collects data on new cases of cancer in NC through Collects data on new cases of cancer in NC through field staff and cooperation with hospital tumor field staff and cooperation with hospital tumor registriesregistries

Responds to inquiries about perceived cancer Responds to inquiries about perceived cancer clusters in specific communitiesclusters in specific communities

Produces information on cancer to help target Produces information on cancer to help target resources for health education and screeningresources for health education and screening

Works withWorks with university and other researchers on university and other researchers on

investigations into the causes andinvestigations into the causes and treatment of cancertreatment of cancer

Geographic Analysis Unit

Provides GIS technical support to public health and Provides GIS technical support to public health and other DHHS divisionsother DHHS divisions

Responds to requests for GIS services from local health Responds to requests for GIS services from local health departments, other health agencies, universities, and the departments, other health agencies, universities, and the publicpublic

Supports State Center research, publications, and Supports State Center research, publications, and presentations by providing maps and other spatial presentations by providing maps and other spatial analysisanalysis

Maintains the State Center website and provides Maintains the State Center website and provides website support to other DPH sectionswebsite support to other DPH sections

Operations Unit

Responsible for the day-to-day management of Responsible for the day-to-day management of fiscal, personnel, training, and facilities/repair fiscal, personnel, training, and facilities/repair functions within the State Centerfunctions within the State Center

Facilitates the operations of the programmatic Facilitates the operations of the programmatic units while ensuring that the State Center complies units while ensuring that the State Center complies with all DHHS and DPH policies and requestswith all DHHS and DPH policies and requests

Responsible for tracking and monitoring Responsible for tracking and monitoring purchases, payments, contracts, grants, and assetspurchases, payments, contracts, grants, and assets

Statistical Services Unit

Answers hundreds of requests a year from all Answers hundreds of requests a year from all segments of North Carolina’s populationsegments of North Carolina’s population

Maintains and links together various data sets Maintains and links together various data sets enabling the State Center to do comprehensive data enabling the State Center to do comprehensive data analysis and program evaluationanalysis and program evaluation

Publishes a number of special research and Publishes a number of special research and evaluation studies and about six annual publicationsevaluation studies and about six annual publications

Provides extensive data analyses and reports for Provides extensive data analyses and reports for state and local public health agenciesstate and local public health agencies

Statistical Services Unit

Presents educational and training sessions to Presents educational and training sessions to public health professionals, university students, public health professionals, university students, and other groups on data use, analysis, and and other groups on data use, analysis, and interpretationinterpretation

Carries our special analyses of the Health Services Carries our special analyses of the Health Services Information System (HSIS), Medicaid, Health Information System (HSIS), Medicaid, Health Choice, and hospital discharge data filesChoice, and hospital discharge data files

Produces an annual online Produces an annual online County Data BookCounty Data Book as as part of the Community Health Assessment Processpart of the Community Health Assessment Process

Selected Projects

Support to the NC Institute of Medicine’s Latino Support to the NC Institute of Medicine’s Latino Health Task ForceHealth Task Force

Women’s Health Report CardWomen’s Health Report Card Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Report CardRacial and Ethnic Health Disparities Report Card Health Profile of Older North CaroliniansHealth Profile of Older North Carolinians Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

(BRFSS)(BRFSS) Pregnancy Risk Factor Surveillance System Pregnancy Risk Factor Surveillance System

(PRAMS)(PRAMS)

Selected Projects

““Running the Numbers” column in the NC Running the Numbers” column in the NC Medical JournalMedical Journal

Evaluation of child participation in WICEvaluation of child participation in WIC Analysis of hospital discharge and Medicaid data Analysis of hospital discharge and Medicaid data

to estimate the number of medically fragile to estimate the number of medically fragile children in North Carolina and their medical costschildren in North Carolina and their medical costs

Data entry, editing, and analysis of Adolescent Data entry, editing, and analysis of Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program surveys about Pregnancy Prevention Program surveys about sexual behavior and attitudessexual behavior and attitudes

Selected Projects

Work with the UNC Sheps Center for Health Work with the UNC Sheps Center for Health Services Research, the Women’s and Children’s Services Research, the Women’s and Children’s Health Section of DPH, and the Division of Health Section of DPH, and the Division of Medical Assistance to evaluate expanded Medical Assistance to evaluate expanded Medicaid coverage of family planning servicesMedicaid coverage of family planning services

Special public health surveysSpecial public health surveys

Contact Information

State Center for Health StatisticsState Center for Health Statistics 1908 Mail Service Center1908 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1908Raleigh, NC 27699-1908 Phone: (919) 733-4728Phone: (919) 733-4728 Fax: (919) 733-8485Fax: (919) 733-8485 Web Site: www.schs.state.nc.us/SCHS/Web Site: www.schs.state.nc.us/SCHS/ [email protected] [email protected] 715-4478