The GIS Hallmarks for Building and Sustaining GIS Capacity in State and Local Health Departments provides a framework for health departments to implement policies and processes that maximize the benefits of GIS for chronic disease prevention and health promotion. They can be used to plan next steps and goals for moving capacity building beyond initial GIS training of a few staff to implementing GIS as a routine part of chronic disease surveillance, evaluation, decision-making, and communications. The GIS Hallmarks can be applied to health departments with any level of GIS capacity.

The GIS Hallmarks were developed by Members of NACDD’s Cardiovascular Health Council, the CDC Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, the Children’s Environmental Healht Initiative at RICE University, and health department staff, including four Chronic Disease Directors—Tom√°s Aguilar (Pa.), Nimisha Bhakta (Texas), Ryan Lester (Kan.), and Shamarial Roberson (Fla). The GIS Hallmarks are based on the NACDD Chronic Disease Competencies and the STAR (STate Activation and Response) framework.

Take a moment to explore the GIS Hallmarks with your epidemiologists, evaluators, and program staff to learn about ways you can bolster your health department’s GIS capacity. Visit NACDD’s GIS webpage for more information about the GIS Hallmarks and other GIS capacity building resources.