MMA webinar covers new local public health platform

On May 19, the MMA hosted a webinar with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to explore its new local public health data and workflow platform, called Metrik.

Representatives from the DPH’s Office of Local and Regional Health — Aimee Petrosky, director of performance standards and data systems, and Rike Sterrett, assistant director of data systems — discussed how the new platform can benefit municipalities.

Metrik aims to:
• Improve access to data for better decision-making
• Provide local health departments with simple, modern tools to meet their real-world needs
• Enable more effective collaboration across municipalities.

Examples include: offering digital inspection tools to help health inspectors work more efficiently; creating a one-stop portal for business owners to apply for health permits; and providing data analysis tools to help epidemiologists recommend targeted prevention campaigns.

Shin-Yi Lao, commissioner in Newton’s Health and Human Services Department, has been a member of Metrik’s Local Public Health Advisory Team, which provided input throughout the development process.
“There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution that will work for every municipality,” Lao said.

DPH is taking a user-centered design approach to building the platform, reaching out to more than 440 state and local stakeholders and more than 200 municipalities to inform metrics, features, and functionality.

Petrosky moderated 25 minutes of questions and answers, addressing inquiries regarding how Metrik will work with existing platforms, how municipalities can sign on as a pilot community, and how Metrik will work with housing inspections.

• Metrik: Modernizing Local Public Health and What It Means for Municipal Leadership (PDF)