About the Public Health Information Cooperative

The Public Health Information Cooperative was created to standardize the collection and distribution of basic public health information that portrays the exclusive characteristics of Franklin County, Ohio. This information cooperative was designed during the 1995 Ohio Public Health Leadership Institute, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and the Ohio Department of Health. The Franklin County Leadership Team includes: 

Debbie Crawford                        Columbus Health Department
Robert Everhart                        Franklin County Board of Health
Franklin Hirsch                        Health Coalition of Central Ohio
Stephen Layendecker                    Battelle Memorial Institute
Mary Margaret McClure                  Franklin County Department of Human Services
Robert McMullen                        Ohio State University Health Plan
Gene Roe                               Battelle Memorial Institute
Timothy Sahr                           Franklin County Board of Health
John Snyder                            The Hospital Association of Central Ohio
Patricia Temple                        Ohio State University Health Plan
Stephanie Welsh                        Nationwide Enterprise Health Planning
Steven Wieland                         Ohio Department of Health
Douglas Zelinksi                       Metropolitan Human Services Commission

HARDWARE/SOFTWARE GRID:

The Hardware/Software Grid will, for testing purposes, be temporarily housed with the Metropolitan Human Services Commission's (MHSC) PIE System. The system parameters are as follows:

* MHSC PIE

  1. Offers a system currently operating with telecommunications linkage;
  2. Offers expertise in setting information systems electronically;
  3. Project is within the mission statement of the MHSC;
  4. Proposal is to temporarily house OPHLI Data System at MHSC through the testing stages.

* UNIX OPERATING SYSTEM

  1. It maintains an open-ended platform and reads many different types of data format;
  2. It is standard for telecommunications and electronic data transfer;
  3. It is standard for Internet connectivity.

* MODEM ACCESSIBLE

  1. Data to put into the system can be transferred by either diskette or via a modem with a protocol established by MHSC;
  2. Data can be read off the system via PC modem, 14400 baud or greater;
  3. In Phase Two, data can be manipulated and searched via PC modem.

* MENU DRIVEN

  1. As with the current PIE, the OPHLI Data System will be menu driven in a sequence of: (1) Introductory Menu
    (2) Main Categories Menu
    (3) Topics Menu
    -- general information summary and data interest bullets -- graphic chart of data (if applicable) -- definitions of topic and/or key words -- data table
    -- sources of information posted or for further investigation -- assumptions and predictions about a given topic
  2. Information can be printed at each individual layer of the menu system.

* INTERNET ACCESSIBLE

  1. MHSC's World Wide Web Page will be offer OPHLI Data System Internet connectivity. A requirement for a permanent site will be a continuation of Internet connectivity.

* NETSCAPE þPOINT-AND-SHOOTþ ASSISTANCE

  1. The system will be manipulated via þpoint-and-shootþ technology with a PC mouse;
  2. The chronology for pulling-up screens, after the initial Topic Screen, is according to desired screen.

* GENERAL TO SPECIFIC DATA FLOW

  1. The online sequence is from very general information summaries to specific data charts and predictions. The goal is to keep the system informative, but mechanically elementary.

* PERMANENT SITE FOR OPHLI DATA SYSTEM

  1. A permanent site for the OPHLI Data System is to be determined at the end of the development process by the OPHLI Committee and the area health commissioners.