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Strategic Plan, Public Health

Charging Forward into Health

How San Antonio is Using Data to Build a Healthier Future 

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A Community-Driven Vision for Health Access for All

San Antonio has a bold vision: a future where every resident, regardless of background or zip code, has the opportunity to live a healthy life. But for too many, barriers like poverty, debt, and limited access to healthcare stand in the way.

To create meaningful change, the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District (SAMHD) launched San Antonio Forward, a strategic effort to address the root causes of health disparities and improve well-being across the city. But making data-driven decisions at this scale required a new approach—one that could cut through complexity and turn numbers into action.
 

The Challenge

Fragmented Data, Missed Opportunities

SAMHD knew that tackling health inequities meant making informed, strategic decisions. But their biggest challenge wasn’t a lack of data—it was a lack of cohesion.

With crucial community health data scattered across different sources and buried in spreadsheets, teams were spending countless hours wrangling numbers instead of making progress. The focus was on metrics, but without clear narratives, it was difficult to translate those numbers into impactful policy changes.

"It’s very aged... no narrative, no pictures, no nothing."
Amanda Manzello

Performance Improvement Manager, San Antonio Metropolitan Health Department

The data chaos didn’t just slow them down—it created inconsistencies. Different departments pulled from different sources, processed numbers in different ways, and ended up with different conclusions.

"It’s like 800 different flavors of ice cream. mySidewalk provides us a streamlined data source for the overwhelming majority of our data needs. Everyone now is talking apples to apples."
Dr. Golareh Agha

Chief of Informatics, San Antonio Metropolitan Health Department

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The Solution

A Unified Data Strategy with mySidewalk

To turn their vision into reality, SAMHD identified six key health priorities—including access to care, food insecurity, and mental health—and needed a way to quickly analyze and communicate the challenges in each area.

With mySidewalk’s expansive, searchable data library, they could instantly find the right data, break it down by demographics, and surface critical insights—without spending months on manual analysis.

SAHD housing
"For us, it streamlined the methodology. We’re not using 17 different approaches to analyze the same issue. It’s a harmonized tool that allows us to manipulate and derive insights efficiently."
Dr. Golareh Agha

Chief of Informatics, San Antonio Metropolitan Health Department

For example, the team was able to pinpoint racial disparities in unemployment and education, helping them advocate for targeted solutions. Instead of raw numbers sitting in spreadsheets, mySidewalk transformed the data into clear, compelling stories that decision-makers could act on.

And it wasn’t just about the platform—it was about the partnership. mySidewalk worked alongside SAMHD to bring the vision of SA Forward to life, ensuring that the strategy wasn’t just data-driven, but people-focused.

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The Impact

Faster Funding, Better Outcomes

With a data-driven strategy in place, SAMHD was able to pursue funding opportunities to directly support health initiatives in San Antonio. One key opportunity was the Healthy Start grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which offered up to $1.1 million per applicant.

The challenge? The grant required over 40 different data points—many broken down by zip code. Previously, gathering this information would have been a slow, labor-intensive process. But with mySidewalk, SAMHD had the data at their fingertips.

"We’re talking about a tool that helps us meet tight grant deadlines and secure funding in a very competitive environment."
Dr. Golareh Agha

Chief of Informatics, San Antonio Metropolitan Health Department

Beyond securing funding, mySidewalk has transformed how San Antonio tells its health story—helping leaders, advocates, and residents understand the challenges and drive real solutions.

About San Antonio Metropolitan Health District

On a mission to prevent illness, promote healthy behaviors, and protect against health hazards through education, collaboration and key services, the San Antonio Metro Health is innovating community health outcomes with data.

Visit their website →

A Model for Other Communities

SAMHD’s experience is proof that data, when used effectively, can change lives. The SA Forward Dashboard powered by mySidewalk isn’t just tracking progress—it’s fueling action.

With mySidewalk, SAMHD isn’t just collecting data—they’re making it work for the people of San Antonio. And as they continue their journey toward health access for all, they’re providing a blueprint for other communities ready to turn insight into impact.

"Everything is right there. This is a platform that any city, any organization, can use. You don’t need specialized training. It was fantastic."
Tina Lopez

Data Modernization Manager, San Antonio Metropolitan Health Department

The Outcomes

Save Time & Money
Save Time Wrangling Data
Select over 50 different indicators, and investigate how each one impacts their community
Find Better Insights
Find Better Insights
Visualize each of them in a way that is aligned with best practices established by data scientists on the mySidewalk team
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Inform Stakeholders & Partners
Create an interactive solution allowing the public to select the topics they are interested in, save the data to investigate further on their own, and understand the wellness status of their specific community.
Make-Data Driven Impact
Make Data-Driven Impact
Pull out key findings about SAMHD’s focus areas which enabled the establishment of goals and implementation plans to address health inequities in their community

Ready to See What mySidewalk Can Do for Your Community?

Whether you’re applying for funding, shaping policy, or advocating for change, mySidewalk can help you transform complex data into powerful action. Let’s talk about how you can use data to drive real impact in your community.

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