What to know
The mission of the Kentucky (KY) Tracking Program is to assemble and support access to environmental and health data to improve community health.
Background
Kentucky ranks consistently as one of the least healthy states in the country. Many of the health conditions faced by residents have environmental connections. Compared with national average rates, Kentucky has a high burden of respiratory issues, cancer, obesity, and heart disease.
Accomplishments
Supporting Local Health Departments
KY Tracking has provided financial and technical assistance to local health departments through mini-grants. Projects have addressed issues such as built environment, extreme heat, radon, air quality, and asthma.
Addressing Children's Environmental Health
KY Tracking initiated the Kentucky Children's Environmental Health Summit in 2016. The purpose is to increase awareness of environmental issues related to children. It is currently an annual event.
Collaborating to Improve Public Health
KY Tracking maintains partnerships with federal and state agencies and community groups. This enables the program to address chronic disease problems and respond to emerging environmental health issues. An example is this community-wide arsenic exposure event.
KY Tracking supports state and local health departments in their efforts to acquire accreditation from the Public Health Accreditation Board.
Partnering with Universities
KY Tracking partners with various universities across the state. They help support data collection efforts and strengthen skills among public health students and the professional workforce.
Unique Data
All state and local tracking programs collect and display a set of standard data. But individual programs may host other data that are important to their populations. KY's unique data include the following.
Milestones
2010: Participated in ASTHO's Tracking Fellowship.
2013: Became the first un-funded state to submit Tracking data to CDC.
2014: KY Tracking Program established with CDC funding.
2016: Launched KY Tracking site with data for 21 environmental health measures.
2018: Increased KY Tracking data to include more than 140 measures.