When Everything’s Connected: The Role of Data in Public Health

A spike in food prices. A livestock disease outbreak. An overwhelmed hospital. These might seem unrelated—until you follow the data.

In this episode of Data Driven Leadership, Jess Carter talks with Dr. Heidi Steinecker, senior director of health and human services at Resultant. They discuss how data brings clarity to the hidden links between the economy, public health, and food safety.

Heidi introduces the One Health framework, which brings together human, animal, and environmental data to help leaders spot risks earlier, respond more effectively, and shape smarter policies. She also advises on how to build cross-agency collaboration, modernize systems, and use analytics to drive real-world impact before a crisis hits.

In this episode, you will learn:

• The importance of data visibility in policy and decision-making
• How different types of data work together to tell a bigger story
• How state agencies can modernize data collection and analytics

Things to listen for:

• (00:00) Introduction to the episode with Dr. Heidi Steinecker
• (06:02) Data provides visibility to make decisions
• (10:03) Decisions are iterative
• (11:47) The importance of social determinants of health
• (15:21) Lessons on data exchange from the COVID-19 pandemic
• (20:06) Enhancing data collection and predictions with technology
• (24:34) One Health: Integrating environmental, animal, and human data
• (27:29) Advice for implementing One Health