Proposal Presented for the Master Plan For Aging (#119)
Disclaimer
Throughout the MPA process, more than 100 proposals were developed thanks in particular to thousands of hours of work by external stakeholders and members of the public. These proposals and the MPA Council commentary are being submitted to the Governor and shared with policymakers and the public to inform policymaking. These proposals represent a starting point for discussion. Further discussion is necessary between relevant state agencies and stakeholders to both refine these proposals and assess which may be appropriate to adopt and implement.
Summary
The digital map of health and service utilization for older New Yorkers will provide a comprehensive look at how aging services are spread throughout New York State - including but not limited to NYSOFA, DOH’s Office of Health Insurance Programs (OHIP), and encompassing data as appropriate related to OMH, OASAS, and OPWDD. The data will be maintained and held within an existing data lake at the SHIN-NY with the goal of integration, collaboration and ongoing growth of data analysis.
Justification
Currently, there is no central database for all services - and certainly not by geography. New York State needs to leverage mapping and data capabilities as well as the existing data lake held at the SHIN-NY. If the State is unable to leverage these state resources as well as understand its own data, it will lack a comprehensive view of how to move the State forward and reach older adults.
Full Proposal
To address these pressing issues, the following key steps need to taken:
- Through consultation with government and community stakeholders, identify the universe of state and local services and funders that this project can feasibly engage.
- Identify stages or phases as needed to begin with more accessible data sources and expand to create a more comprehensive picture.
- Identify potential policy barriers and advance needed policy changes to advance this project with appropriate concerns for privacy.
- Geocode all recipients of State service from NYSOFA and OHIP along current census tracks.
- Coordinate between all agencies serving older New Yorkers to determine common data usage to build upon geocoded data.
- Build out utilization information from each recipient of each State service.
- Analyze and make publicly available the information above through a State dashboard.
MPA Council Commentary
This proposal is categorized as infrastructure because an understanding of health and service utilization is critical for supporting future state decisions. The geocoded mapping of all existing data is administratively, regulatorily, and statutorily complex, but recent developments in language learning models could assist in conforming agency data to a common format. Proposed first steps for implementation might include an evaluation to determine the scope of data for inclusion and an assessment of existing data integration programs. Following these determinations, the relevant State agency partners would determine the next steps for data geocoding opportunities. Any additional resources or funding allocations necessary to effectuate these proposals would be subject to the annual budget process and available resources.