Data synthesis in community health assessment: practical examples from the field.

State and local health departments (LHDs) are increasingly conducting community health assessments, using models such as Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships. Within the peer-reviewed literature, relevant Web sites, and textbooks on health planning, there is limited practical guidance for bridging data collection and prioritization. The purpose of this article was to provide examples of how LHDs have bridged these steps through "data synthesis.

Integrating MAPP, APEXPH, PACE-EH, and other planning initiatives in Northern Kentucky.

Northern Kentucky is the first NACCHO demonstration site in the nation to utilize the Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) tool as one element in the development of a comprehensive community health plan. The Northern Kentucky Independent District Health Department utilized several strategies to integrate MAPP and a variety of assessment tools into a continuous and seamless planning process that resulted in the Master Health Plan for Northern Kentucky 2005. These strategies were developed from using many of the assessment and planning tools developed by the National Association of County and City Health Officials including MAPP, the Protocol for Assessing Community Excellence in Environmental Health, and the Assessment Protocol for Excellence in Public Health.