New mobile-friendly platform empowers city leaders, service providers, health policy-makers and more to analyze social determinants of health

BROOKLYN, NY – Launched today, DATA2GOHEALTH provides comprehensive, detailed, and expansive views of health throughout New York City.  The free, easy-to-use tool combines an unprecedented selection of federal, state, and city data to highlight the lived realities and outcomes on issues critical to the health and well-being of all New Yorkers.

DATA2GOHEALTH.NYC features over 300 indicators from a wide range of sectors, including demographics like race and household composition; health determinants such as health behaviors and housing; health outcomes like rates of different cancers, preventable diabetes complications, injuries due to violence, and leading causes of death; and health-care systems, including insurance coverage and neighborhood services.

“We believe that all New Yorkers should have an equal opportunity to live a long and healthy life—no matter where in the City they live. Today that’s far from true,” said Kristen Lewis, Director of Measure of America, a project of the Social Science Research Council. “To make health equity a reality across New York City, we first need to understand how health outcomes differ by neighborhood and why. That’s why we developed DATA2GOHEALTH.NYC.”

Created by Measure of America and funded by The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, it builds upon the success of DATA2GO.NYC, an online data tool launched in 2015, and A Portrait of New York City, a report launched in June of this year on well-being in the five boroughs and the greater metro area that features the American Human Development Index.

“DATA2GOHEALTH is an important tool for anyone working in public health in New York City,” said Lisa David, President and CEO of Public Health Solutions. “We can not only better understand and meet the health needs of the New York City communities we currently serve, but also identify and reach new populations to make a greater impact. This is a smart, creative step toward improving community health and reducing health disparities throughout the city.”

The American Human Development Index is a composite measure of health, education, and earnings indicators based on a time-tested model developed at the United Nations and used in countries around the world.

Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams said, “I applaud Measure of America for creating a useful tool that will provide a detailed perspective on health indicators in every corner of our city. Data is important in addressing health disparities, and this tool will help shift the tide toward better health outcomes for all Brooklynites. My administration’s mission is to implement game-changing policies on health care, utilizing the latest technologies to effectively engage with communities. Using statistical information at the grassroots level will assist in crafting smarter health policy targeted to serve every neighborhood.”

The data come predominantly from public entities, including the US Census Bureau, the New York State Department of Health, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and other New York City agencies responsible for promoting the well-being of New Yorkers in many areas, including education, public safety, and more. In all, DATA2GOHEALTH provides data for the five boroughs, 59 community districts, 188 neighborhood tabulation areas, and 2,166 census tracts.

“The vitality of New York City depends on the well-being of its residents, and DATA2GOHEALTH is a first-of-its-kind resource for really understanding health in every corner of our city,” said Stephanie Cuskley, CEO of the Helmsley Charitable Trust. “Helmsley is committed to supporting data sharing to accelerate progress towards positive health outcomes. DATA2GOHEALTH makes it easy for everyone – especially city and community leaders – to have deep insight into community-level health realities and disparities in New York, which is a critical first step to finding solutions that close gaps.”

The tool will be updated annually for three years and allows users to customize their indicator search to specific populations, health issues, and geographic areas.

About Measure of America   

Measure of America is a nonpartisan project of the nonprofit Social Science Research Council. It creates easy-to-use yet methodologically sound tools for understanding well-being and opportunity in America and stimulates fact-based dialogue about these issues. Through hard copy and online reports, interactive maps, and custom-built dashboards, Measure of America works closely with partners to breathe life into numbers, using data to identify areas of need, pinpoint levers for change, and track progress over time.

About the Social Science Research Council

The Social Science Research Council (SSRC) is an independent, international non-profit with the mission of mobilizing social science for the public good. Founded in 1923, the SSRC fosters research innovation, nurtures new generations of researchers, deepens inquiry within and across disciplines and sectors, and mobilizes necessary knowledge on important public issues. Based in Brooklyn, NY, the SSRC currently administers 22 programs in the U.S. and around the world. For more information on the SSRC and its programs, please visit www.ssrc.org.

About the Helmsley Charitable Trust

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust aspires to improve lives by supporting exceptional efforts in the U.S. and around the world in health and select place-based initiatives. Since beginning its active grantmaking in 2008, Helmsley has committed more than $2 billion for a wide range of charitable purposes. Helmsley’s New York City Program funds efforts to improve the health and well-being of high-need New Yorkers. For more information, please visit www.helmsleytrust.org.