The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) has launched the Center for Population Health Data Science to enhance population health surveillance and data integration from healthcare, public health, and social services. This initiative aims to strengthen the city’s public health data infrastructure, improve emergency response readiness, and investigate the impact of mental health and chronic conditions. The center will develop data visualization, modeling, and AI capabilities, with support from the Data Modernization Initiative. It aligns with broader efforts to improve public health at the local and state levels, including the University of Virginia’s Center for Health Equity and Precision Public Health.
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) has unveiled its latest initiative, the Center for Population Health Data Science, to strengthen population health surveillance in the city and enhance outcomes by integrating data from healthcare, public health, and social services. This newly established center represents a significant step toward bolstering the public health data infrastructure of New York City.
The center’s mission is to effectively connect and harness data from healthcare, public health, and social services to facilitate informed decision-making and action. Dr. Ashwin Vasan, the Commissioner of the DOHMH, emphasized the transformative power of data, stating, “Data is much more than numbers on a page. Data sounds alarms, spurs action, and drives planning, programs, and policy in health.”
Recognizing the pivotal role of data in public health, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the city aims to accelerate the development of a comprehensive population health data system. This endeavor will advance data modernization, health equity, and policymaking initiatives.
The center’s activities will encompass communicable disease surveillance and response, contributing to the city’s overall emergency preparedness efforts. Additionally, the center will delve into the impact of mental health and chronic conditions on New York City’s diverse population’s health, well-being, and longevity.
As part of its mandate to establish a robust public health data infrastructure, the center will focus on enhancing several key capabilities, including data visualization, modeling, and forecasting. It will also emphasize the analysis of disparate data streams, data governance, privacy, and the integration of artificial intelligence in alignment with the “New York City Artificial Intelligence Action Plan.” Interoperability protocols will be developed to facilitate the seamless sharing and utilization of various data sources in support of the city’s population health objectives.
Dr. Marc Gourevitch, Chair of the Department of Population Health at NYU Langone Health, highlighted the challenge of translating vast amounts of data into actionable insights. He stressed the importance of data integration and analysis from diverse sources and sectors to pinpoint areas where new initiatives and investments can have the greatest impact, particularly in addressing declining life expectancy and promoting health equity.
The Center for Population Health Data Science has received partial support from the Data Modernization Initiative (DMI), a federally funded program launched in 2019 and managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
This launch is part of a broader trend of local and state-level efforts aimed at improving public health infrastructure. Similarly, the University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine recently established its Center for Health Equity and Precision Public Health to address health disparities in underserved populations, utilizing precision medicine, genomics, population health, and health equity to bridge gaps in healthcare access and outcomes. Researchers at UVA are working to integrate clinical, genomic, and social determinants of health (SDOH) data to gain a comprehensive understanding of human health and healthcare in Virginia.