There is a lot of talk about “big data:” how to organize it and how to use it. For Kirk Ketelsen, an associate teaching professor in the School of Public and Population Health, and his students, this is where the fun begins.
Ketelsen created the Data Analytics for Statewide Health Collaborative, known on campus as the DASH Lab, in fall 2023 with a handful of students and the goal to build a more data-fluent public health workforce in Idaho.
In its inaugural year, the team partnered with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to investigate suicide rates among rural residents. Since then, the lab has worked with the department and St. Luke’s Hospital in Boise on a variety of topics, from concussions to food insecurity, mental health and Long COVID.
Students play an active role in designing these projects and sharing their findings with community partners who can tailor their services to the greatest needs.
“We live in a data-driven world,” Ketelsen said. “It’s essential to know how to work with data, think quantitatively, and clearly communicate our methods, results, and findings.”
The DASH Lab continues to develop community connections and build new partnerships around the state. One of its greatest purposes, Ketelsen said, is creating pathways for students as they transition from college into the workforce.
Anita Suljic (BS, health studies, 2021, MPH, public health, 2024) spent the last year of her graduate degree pioneering the DASH Lab. Suljic, who grew up in Boise, now uses her data skills as a population health data specialist with the Idaho Community Health Center Association. Her data expertise helps the association track performance on quality metrics, identify patients with care gaps, apply for grants and more.
“We can get a glimpse into the needs of those who need the most support. The most positive and impactful thing I get to do is be part of better outcomes for patients,” Suljic said.
In the past two years, the DASH Lab has tripled its number of projects and student participants.