Miami Matters is an innovative web-based platform highlighting quality of life indicators for Miami-Dade County such as health, environment, transportation and more. Utilizing this free resource, concerned residents, decision makers, and community-based organizations can identify detrimental factors specific to their zip codes.

 

“The launch of the Miami Matters website is only phase I of this initiative. Phase II will focus on taking action within the community to make an impact and move the less than favorable outcomes in a positive direction,” stated Marisel Losa, MHSA, President & CEO of the Health Council of South Florida.

 

The Health Council of South Florida partnered with the Healthy Communities Institute (HCI) in the design and management of the Miami Matters website. HCIs work started in concert with the Healthy Cities movement and the University of California at Berkeley in 2002. The management team hails from Harvard and the University of California, Berkeley with expertise in informatics, public health, urban sustainability, community planning and high volume Internet sites.

 

According to Losa, the site will serve as a data depository for quality-of-life indicators providing county level data on issues such as HIV/AIDs, water quality and violent crime, as well as zip code level data (when it is available) that includes hospitalizations for health issues such as diabetes, cancers, STDs and other infectious diseases. The site will also provide lifestyle indicators such as rates of smoking, DUIs, drug dependence, etc.

 

"The Miami-Dade County Health Department is committed to working with the Health Council of South Florida in the Miami Matters Project. Data sharing will be a key component of our participation" stated Dr. Lillian Rivera, Administrator, Miami-Dade County Health Department.