Making the Case for Data: Fact over Supposition
After Hurricane Katrina, Houston became a refuge for evacuees. Within a day of
the storm, the Houston EMA had used its data system to identify the geographic
origins of HIV-positive hurricane victims, says Charles Henley of Houston’s
public health department. The data showed that Houston had taken in just 167
of 3,000 HIV-positive evacuees from Louisiana. This information allowed HRSA
to focus on identifying where the other evacuees had fled to provide assistance
proportionately.