Montgomery County officials have launched a one-stop online source for population-based community health information . Data, collected in 90 different fields, will assist County policy makers in identifying key priority areas and guide decisions to meet those needs.  A news release from Montgomery County stated:

“The Healthy Montgomery website is the data pillar of our new community health improvement process,” said County Councilmember George Leventhal, chair of the Council’s Health and Human Services Committee and co-chair of the Healthy Montgomery Steering Committee. “The steering committee is comprised of leaders from across the community. Our ultimate goal is to improve access to health and social services for all residents, to achieve health equity for all and to enhance the physical and social environment to support optimal health and well-being for all.”

“Having reliable data on which to base our budget decisions on is critical, especially in these lean budget years,” said Uma Ahluwalia, director of the County’s Department of Health and Human Services. “In addition, this website will be a great resource for students, health planners and the public.”