Government agencies have public health data and reports available online, although they do not currently have the ability to manipulate the data. Most of the information is presented as downloadable reports and spreadsheets. These web sites also provide a description of their activities, reports, related funding opportunities and lists of external links.
Access for Infants and Mothers Program (AIM) Data Tables
AIM subscriber information by county.
California Department of Health Services (DHS)
Contains information about its various programs and services. The Center for Health Statistics is responsible for coordinating the collection, management and dissemination of public health and vital statistics data. They collaborated on the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS); reports derived from the CHIS data are referenced on the site. California DHS is also involved with the Health-e-app/One-e-app online application assistance program. The Medical Care Statistics Section has reports and data files on Medi-Cal enrollments and fee-for-service utilization.
California Department of Managed Health Care
Contains information about health plans and the laws under which those plans are regulated. The related Office of the Patient Advocate site provides quality ratings for HMOs and medical groups.
California Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO)
Provides nonpartisan fiscal and policy advice to the California Legislature to ensure that the executive branch is implementing legislative policy in a cost efficient and effective manner. Responsibilities of the LAO include publishing a detailed analysis the annual Governor's budget, as well as performing analyses related to altering the budget after it has been enacted, developing special reports on the state budget and topics of interest, and preparing analyses about initiatives and ballot measures.
CDC Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC Wonder)
Provides a single point of access to reports and numeric public health data. Public use data sets about mortality, cancer, HIV and AIDS, behavioral risk factors, diabetes, natality, census data and other topics are available for query. The data is downloadable. It has one interface that allows queries of various databases, including tuberculosis surveillance data, AIDS cases reported by state and local health departments, and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
City of Santa Monica -- Issue in Action: Homelessness
A section of the City of Santa Monica's web site that provides resources on homeless services, updates, and general information.
Topics include Q & A: Homelessness in Santa Monica; Reports to City Council; Service Guides & Policy; Volunteer Opportunities; Where to Get Help;
Who to Call (Resident Guide); and Related City Services.
L.A. County Department of Health Services (DHS)
Provides access to a wealth of health information, containing descriptions of the services and programs available. One section allows a search for hospital and clinic providers. Inspection data for housing, restaurants, and nursing homes is also available. It also Provides consumer health and medical information through contract with Healthwise and Micromedix. Most of the public health information is situated at its LAPublicHealth.org site, including various services and programs. In addition, reports from various L.A. County DHS data sources such as the LA Health Survey are available at lapublichealth.org/phdata.htm, though the underlying data is not accessible. The reports are organized by the originating program, and are also searchable by title.
L.A. County Department of Mental Health (DMH)
Provides information about the DMH and a list of resources, including service providers. It contains the Mental Health Community Connection, a portal that provides information about mental health services in L.A. County communities, facts and information about mental illness and treatment, self help groups, practical information how to get food, money, housing, employment and other services, pertinent mental health legislation and other information. These are links to exterior web sites. For example, to locate services, they link to the HealthyCity web site.
LA County Board of Supervisors - Access to Correspondence
This website was created to provide easy access to correspondence received from County departments. Supervisor directed memos and letters sent to three or more Board Offices are posted immediately after delivery. Documents can be found by searching by department, date, and/or keyword.
Little Hoover Commission
The Little Hoover Commission is examining California’s strategies to address the health and health care needs of its residents. The Commission's goal is to make recommendations to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of State health care programs and clarify the need for additional strategies to expand access to health care.
Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board (MRMIB)
Advises on strategies for reducing the number of uninsured persons in the state and administers three health coverage programs: Access for Infants and Mothers (AIM), Healthy Families and the Major Risk Medical Insurance Program.
Medi-Cal Managed Care - Quality Improvement and Performance Measurement Reports
In accordance with federal requirements, Medi-Cal Managed Care Division (MMCD) contracts with an External Quality Review Organization (EQRO) to evaluate the care provided to beneficiaries by Medi-Cal managed care plans in the areas of quality, access, and timeliness. The results of these external quality review activities are presented in various quarterly and annual reports.
Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development
Collects information on California’s health care infrastructure in terms of facilities including hospitals, clinics, home health agencies and hospices, and long-term care facilities; financial data; utilization data; patient level data; and health care community area. Some data are available via download, while some reports based on the collected data are available online.
U.S. Census Bureau
Contains a vast collection of data for download as reports, datasets and spreadsheets. The web site is organized around areas such as income, poverty, and health insurance coverage. The site has a Ferret Data Extraction and Review Tool, with which one can look at pre-existing tables or create new ones.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
In addition to providing consumer health information, also contains information on funding opportunities, policies and regulations, and numerous links to statistical information from various sources, such as the Centers for Disease Control and its National Center for Health Statistics. Another DHHS agency, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, tracks evidence-based information on health care outcomes, quality, cost, use and access, which is available online at the state level. DHHS also has a Data Council Gateway to Data and Statistics which serves as a point of departure for the various statistical and surveillance systems supported by DHHS agencies.
U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)
Provides studies and reports requested by U.S. Congress and the heads of executive agencies such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on the programs and expenditures of the federal government. An independent, nonpartisan agency, GAO evaluates federal programs, audits federal expenditures and issues legal opinions.
