FOIL: Live Birth Data, Survival Ratio, Abnormal Vital Statistics (Schoharie County Department Of Health)

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the New York Freedom of Information Law, I hereby request the following records:

Pursuant to the New York Freedom of Information Law and the obligations of county health departments under the New York State Local Government Records Retention and Disposition Schedule (LGS-1) for birth and death records, I hereby request the following records:

Live Birth Data including constant birth rate, long term, short term, and average birth rates for within the county or school district subdivisions for the current (2022/23) and previous six years by year.

Birth to Kindergarten Survival Ratio for the county or school district subdivisions used for the past ten years by year.

All communications to or from school districts, NYS Education Department, NYS Bureau of Vital Statistics, or NYS Department of Health containing these statistical tabulations and data, and any communications regarding requests for this data, responses from the county health department to these parties regarding live birth data and/or any abnormal vital statistics observations since November 2019.

I request that the records be provided in electronic format, either by email attachment or on a CD-ROM.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this request, please do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 5 business days, as the statute requires.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 5 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Jackson Parker

Subject: Appeal of FOIL Request Denial: Live Birth Data, Survival Ratio, Abnormal Vital Statistics

I am writing to appeal the denial of my Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request, originally submitted on March 14, 2023, and followed up on April 7, and April 24, 2023. My request sought various records, including "any abnormal vital statistics observations since November 2019."

In your response on April 27, 2023, you stated that the requested statistical information is not in the possession of the Schoharie County Department of Health. However, given that my request includes a reference to "any abnormal vital statistics observations since November 2019," during a period marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is difficult to understand how there could be no responsive records.

The COVID-19 pandemic undeniably had a significant impact on various health statistics. As the primary health agency responsible for public health in the county, it would be expected that the Department of Health would have some records or communications related to abnormal health statistics observed during this period.

I kindly request that you confirm that there are indeed no responsive records to this part of my request. Further, as part of this appeal, I am requesting a certification that such information, specifically "any abnormal vital statistics observations since November 2019," is not in the possession of the Schoharie County Department of Health.

Dear Ms. Blanchard,

I appreciate your prompt response to my Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request and subsequent appeal. However, I am writing to reiterate my concern regarding the denial of my request for certain statistical health information, based on the assertion that the Schoharie County Department of Health does not collect and store such data.

As per the New York State Department of Health's guidelines for community health planning, local health departments are required to conduct a Community Health Assessment and develop a Community Health Improvement Plan and a Community Service Plan. These processes would likely involve the collection, review, and analysis of various health-related statistical data, including live birth data and any abnormal vital statistics observations【1】.

Furthermore, the New York State Department of Health provides several data sources for community health planning and monitoring interventions. This includes the New York State Prevention Agenda Dashboard and Community Health Indicator Reports, which offer a comprehensive set of health-related indicators and trend data at the state and county levels【1】.

Given these resources and requirements, it is reasonable to expect that the Schoharie County Department of Health would be in possession of the statistical health information requested in my initial FOIL request. Therefore, I kindly ask that you review my request and conduct a diligent search for the requested records.

I look forward to your cooperation and prompt response to this matter.

【1】https://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/prevention_agenda/2013-2017/resources_for_communities.htm