Esri presents MCHD with geographic information system award 07.13.2023

July 13, 2023

Esri presents MCHD with geographic information system award

MOBILE, Ala. — Starting in 2020 with maps for the COVID-19 report, the Data Science Team with the Mobile County Health Department (MCHD) has been using the Esri geographic information system (GIS) software to help track community health issues.

This work has not gone unnoticed. The Data Science Team received a Special Achievement in GIS Award this week at the Esri User Conference in San Diego.

The Data Science Team is part of the MCHD’s Bureau of Disease Surveillance and Control. Justice Jackson is the GIS analyst who led the project that earned them a nomination for the award, an online portal for Vector Services. Other members of the team are Jennifer Boyd, who will accept the award on behalf of MCHD’s Data Science Team, and Tommie Walker IV. The team is led by Dr. Rendi Murphree, who oversees the Bureau of Disease Surveillance and Control.

“MCHD’s Mosquito and Rodent Control relied on an antiquated system of paper maps and index cards with hand-drawn features and treatment records,” said Jackson. “The COVID-19 pandemic funding offered an opportunity to build a new system using modern technology by creating a mobile, map-driven workflow. We now have an online public interface that reduces the number of phone complaints with administrative dashboards that allow for real-time assigning and monitoring of work assignments.

“Using GIS and Esri products to create a modern and technologically relevant system for workers and administration will make the process of pest control, a location-based service, more efficient and user-friendly.”

Jack Dangermond, president and founder of Esri, solicited nominations of outstanding users from vertical industry managers, U.S. regional offices, and international distributors. MCHD was one of 200 chosen from more than 100,000 Esri clients worldwide.

Vector Services’ new online portal allows complaints from the community to be submitted and tracked online. A case number is assigned, which allows the resident to check the status on a public dashboard. At the same time, an email is sent to the MCHD clerical staff. The request is reviewed and assigned to an inspector after being placed on an internal status dashboard.

“We’re very excited to elevate our community service by launching the new online portal for requests for mosquito and rodent abatement,” said Derrick Scott, who oversees the Bureau of Environmental Health. “The new system facilitates two-way communications with the public and will streamline efforts to protect the community from vector-borne infectious diseases.”

Others who played key roles in the program are Dr. Stephanie Woods-Crawford, Executive Director for the Bureau of Prevention & Wellness; Byron Clayton with MCHD’s Information Technology department; and Patricia Poellnitz, the Administrative Support Specialist of Vector Services.