Each year since 2009, NAHDO has honored an organization with the distinguished Innovation in Data Dissemination Award. The NAHDO Board of Directors established this award to recognize the importance of effectively communicating health data to the public.
While the Elliot M. Stone Award of Excellence in Health Leadership is intended for an individual, the Innovation in Data Dissemination Award is designed to be awarded to an organization. The NAHDO Board of Directors established this award in 2009 to recognize the importance of effectively communicating health data to the public. Eligible organizations may be government agencies, non-profit organizations, or for-profit companies, and data dissemination efforts might include Websites, advertising campaigns, written reports, or a combination of these and other communication initiatives.
2025 Recipients
L to R: Norm Thurston, Michael Valle, Jonathan Mathieu
California HAB
As the data release, analytics, and product arm of HCAI, the Healthcare Analytics Branch’s leadership and staff are responsible for disseminating California's vast health data, including hospital administrative data, healthcare claims data as part of California’s All Payer Claims Database, health workforce data, prescription drug cost information, cardiovascular outcomes, hospital equity measures, and collaboration with California’s spending growth target program, the Office of Health Care Affordability.
The branch produces an exceptionally large and innovative portfolio of data products for policy, programs, consumers, and the healthcare industry. They offer confidential record-level data, customized de-identified products, public data files on the state’s open data portal, interactive visualizations, and legislative reports. In 2023 and 2024 alone, the branch released 173 public data files, 131 interactive visualizations, fulfilled over 300 confidential data requests, completed 131 custom requests, and responded to nearly 4,000 inquiries – a total of 737 health data products in two years.
Their comprehensive and innovative approach ensures vital health information is accessible and actionable for diverse stakeholders. The Healthcare Analytics Branch at the California Department of Health Care Access and Information is a true leader in data dissemination, and we are honored to present them with this award. Deputy Director Michael Valle will accept it on their behalf.
L to R: Norm Thurston, Amy Kinner, Lorie Geryk, Pam Mink, Ravi Lala, Olga Armah, Paul McCormick
Multistate Behavioral Health Project
The Multi-State Behavioral Health Initiative is recognized for its innovative collaboration uniting five APCDs – Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota, Vermont, and Washington – to provide crucial comparative, cross-state insights into behavioral health trends through interactive public dashboards. This initiative establishes a scalable framework for multi-state APCD analysis, delivering dynamic, public-facing tools that significantly enhance data transparency and ensure equitable access to high-value analytics for states, the public, policymakers, and healthcare leaders.
These dashboards empower states to identify cost drivers and care gaps, informing targeted interventions to improve healthcare delivery. The Multi-State Behavioral Health Initiative exemplifies the value of APCDs and cross-state collaboration, demonstrating a novel approach to sharing and acting on healthcare data for the public good. We are honored to recognize the initiative with this award. Representing this collaborative effort and accepting the award today are:
- Onpoint Health Data
- Connecticut Office of Health Strategy
- Maryland Health Care Commission
- Minnesota Department of Health
- Vermont Green Mountain Care Board
- Washington State Health Care Authority
Past recipients
2011 - Virginia Health Information (VHI)
2012 - Department of Health and Human Services Health Data Initiative (HDI)
2013 - Center for Improving Value in Health Care (CIVHC) & Treo Solutions
2015 - No Award
2016 - Maine Health Data Organization
2017 - No Award
2018 - Washington All-Payer Claims Database’s new HealthCareCompare website
2019 - Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA)
2020 - Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative
2021 - New England States Consortium Systems Organization & Delaware Health Information Network
2025 - California HAB and Multistate Behavioral Health Project