MPH July 2017 Newsletter

MPH to Lead Data-Driven Culture in State Government

The Indiana Management Performance Hub (MPH) became a State agency on July 1. MPH is working with state agencies and external partners to unlock and leverage data to drive decisions, inform policy development, increase government efficiency, and improve outcomes for Hoosiers around the state. Supported by Governor Holcomb’s leadership and charge to deliver great government service at a great value to taxpayers, we welcome Darshan Shah as executive director of MPH and Indiana’s first chief data officer. In this capacity, Shah will be leading Indiana’s efforts to coordinate the use of data to advance the ball on real problems. He is also guiding MPH partnerships with a number of state agencies and external partners. Some of these partnerships are highlighted briefly below.

Introducing Education & Workforce Development (Formerly INK)

MPH has taken on a new role in helping to improve the education and workforce pipeline in Indiana. The INK brand and website have transitioned to MPH and education and workforce development initiatives will be one of the many focuses of MPH. When looking for longitudinally-linked education and workforce data, think of MPH. Specifically, think of MPH’s Education and Workforce Development database, or “EWD”. MPH is very excited to be a part of the education and workforce development community and to play a leading role in streamlining the data request process. MPH is currently working to create a web-based data hub where users can quickly access commonly-requested aggregated data sets. In the coming months, EWD will be a key feature of the data hub that MPH is creating for our users. In the meantime, users can request data via datarequest@mph.IN.gov. More detail about this process will be available soon.

Crash Project

MPH, in partnership with the Indiana State Police, recently completed a project that helps to predict traffic crashes on Indiana roads. Using data from the Indiana State Police, Indiana Department of Transportation, U.S. Census Bureau, and other sources, MPH has created a valuable tool for individuals, law enforcement, and first responders. Law enforcement and first responders can leverage the tool to direct resources to anticipated areas of need and reduce response time. Citizens can inform their daily driving routes to avoid areas with a greater likelihood of crashes. We encourage you to review the Crash Map to get crash information from around the state and right in your neighborhood. Updated daily, the map gives Hoosiers an idea of when, where, and under what weather conditions crashes are likely to occur. 

Combatting the Opioid Epidemic

In response to the national drug epidemic, Indiana is connecting and leveraging data to stem the tide of the epidemic. Led by the state’s Executive Director for Drug Prevention, Treatment, and Enforcement, Jim McClelland, the Indiana Commission to Combat Drug Abuse coordinated approval of a 16-agency agreement to share and utilize data to better understand the underlying causes of opioid abuse. MPH is supporting the Commission by harnessing data from our partners to empower the agencies to be more effective in their fight against the epidemic. The Indianapolis Business Journal recently highlighted Indiana’s data-related opioid efforts. See the article here: http://www.ibj.com/articles/63984-state-using-big-data-to-attack-opioid-epidemic.

Measuring Government Performance with KPIs

One of Governor Holcomb’s five pillars to elevate Indiana to the next level centers on the delivery of great government service at great taxpayer value. To advance this cause, the governor has tasked MPH with guiding agencies as they develop and monitor key performance indicators or “KPIs”. So far, the MPH team, in partnership with the governor’s operations directors, has worked with a number of agencies to identify appropriate measures and incorporate the measurement culture into those agencies’ efforts. Work is beginning with the next group of state agencies to ensure that Indiana government remains an effective and efficient steward of taxpayer dollars.

Medicaid Optimization

The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) and MPH have partnered to optimize the use of Indiana’s Medicaid claims data. FSSA administers social service programs, providing assistance to those in need. Medicaid Optimization aims to unlock valuable Medicaid claims data, allowing researchers and health providers to target resources following in-depth analysis of Medicaid outcomes. Currently, FSSA and MPH are working through a data de-identification process known as Expert Determination, which will ultimately allow access to and usage of this data to inform the efforts of those that provide services to people around the state. In the coming months, Medicaid claims data will be a key feature of the MPH data hub.

To find out more about what MPH is doing or to get involved, visit data.IN.gov.