Information Technology and Health

The Horizon Foundation has actively sought to apply information technology to community health concerns. This has included the use of the Internet and other digital media to promote Foundation priorities, the use of cable TV and an array of communications tools. It also is incorporated in many capacity building grants made to the nonprofit community.

A prime example of this work is HorizonHelp information and referral system. The Horizon Foundation's strategic planning process indicated that a community-wide information and referral system was needed to streamline the flow of information about health and wellness services to the public.

A coalition of key stakeholders was formed from the non-profit, private, and public sectors that developed system principles, operating requirements and inclusion criteria. After two years of planning, HorizonHelp was launched in Summer 2002 (www.horizonhelp.org).

HorizonHelp improves the ability of organizations to direct or refer potential service recipients to the most appropriate service delivery sites. Last summer, over 50 providers of health and human services in Howard County were trained on the components of the system. The Horizon Foundation is committed to continuing this training, and will be offering future training sessions. Interested health and human service providers should visit the HorizonHelp website for more information.

Not only does the system serve Howard County service professionals, it also has a public component that enables citizens to better understand the full range of health and social services operating in and near Howard County. Since organizations have the capability to update their listings online, a continually updated, centralized database of County resources now exists for the community at large.