Government Data Connection
Using data to serve citizens, save money & improve quality of life![Medicaid 360: Enhancing the integrated care approach with enterprise analytics](https://blogs.sas.com/content/statelocalgov/files/2015/08/Medicaid-solutionbrief-Racineblog-8-15.jpg)
Today’s Medicaid environment is drastically different from that 5, 10 or 20 years ago. Medicaid enrollment has grown to monumental heights with recent CMS numbers (April 2015) at over 70 million. As enrollment rises, concerns about efficient management of care access, cost, quality, and effectiveness have become even more prominent.
![The man behind VAM: Bill Sanders honored for a lifetime of education service](https://blogs.sas.com/content/statelocalgov/files/2015/06/Bill_Sanders_cropped.jpg)
Love them or hate them, value-added models (VAMs) have changed the way we look at education today. VAMs have reshaped our thinking about the effectiveness of programs, schools, educators and colleges that prepare them. While VAMs have been used in the social sciences for decades, we can credit a few
![Child welfare experts urge data sharing and the use of analytics to protect children, families](https://blogs.sas.com/content/statelocalgov/files/2017/01/Analytics-1.png)
I remember when I first started in public child welfare 21 years ago and the word "outcomes" was introduced. At that time, we believed that if it felt good and children and families seemed happy that we were doing a good job - those were our outcomes. We were wrong.
![National Foster Care Month recognizes those striving to give kids stable lives, and bright futures](https://blogs.sas.com/content/statelocalgov/files/2017/01/Analytics-2.png)
In 1988 President Ronald Reagan proclaimed May as National Foster Care Month as a way to recognize foster parents for opening their homes to and caring for children in need. This annual celebration has grown to generate awareness of foster care and a recognition of all involved. The children, foster
![Fraud: An American health care epidemic](https://blogs.sas.com/content/statelocalgov/files/2017/01/FraudSecurity-1.png)
According to Time Magazine, the next Ebola outbreak will cost the World Bank in excess of $30 billion dollars. In 2014, America spent in excess of $1.16 million dollars to treat two victims of the dreaded disease. While Ebola and other microorganisms of the deadly variety are scary creatures there
![Spread the word! National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day highlights an ongoing crisis](https://blogs.sas.com/content/statelocalgov/files/2015/05/Youth-mental-disorder-sidebar-KayMeyer.png)
Everyone loves a “mental health” day, one of those days when we get to relax and escape from the everyday worries and stresses of life. Imagine the challenge of dealing with true mental health issues everyday – especially as a child or youth where mental health issues can cause isolation,