Illinois Department of Public HealthPat Quinn, Governor
Illinois Public Health Community Map
View Illinois Public Health Community Map
Purpose of the Site
The purpose of this Web site is to make information about the quality of health in communities available to the public, and highlight socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities that may exist. The Illinois Department of Public Health promotes the use of open data as a platform for ideas, advocacy, planning and policy. Clinical data, in this case from hospital and emergency room discharges, can be used to take a look at the health needs of a community, county or region. Data can be used to increase awareness of health issues in our communities and determine needs for health care resources.
This first version of the Web site is focused on the issue of access to health care. Information about potentially preventable hospitalizations and emergency department use are presented as two views of this issue. They serve as a screening tool for problems involving access to primary care and other quality issues. The data shown can highlight potential problems and the Illinois Department of Public Health recommends more in depth analysis. This is a preliminary release of this public health feature. Caution is advised in interpreting results in counties with small populations of less than 10,000, as rates may be unstable (refer to Methodology).
The intention of the Illinois Department of Public Health is to expand and grow this web site. We invite your comments and suggestions, and for you to return for future updates.