Policy & Practice | Spring 2025

The adoption of advanced analytics can propel agencies toward more proactive, informed, and adaptive models of service, marking an evolution in how public needs are addressed in an increasingly complex and dynamic environment.

benefits—fully 600 percent more than the Commonwealth’s previous annual sign-up rate—bringing nearly $30 million in federal funding directly to Kentucky families. And the process informed new enrollees about their eligibility for other benefits such as state-subsidized health care coverage, Medicaid coverage, and child care assistance.

their missions, the combination of cutting-edge AI, population-insights data, and geospatial analytics enables decision makers to focus their efforts for maximum impact. The adoption of advanced analytics can propel agencies toward more proactive, informed, and adaptive models of service, marking an evolution in how public needs are addressed in an increasingly complex and dynamic environment. Reference Notes 1. Cleveland Clinic. (2024). Why multiple sclerosis can be Difficult to Diagnose. https://newsroom.clevelandclinic. org/2024/09/25/why-multiple-sclerosis can-be-difficult-to-diagnose 2. Caliber Healthcare Solutions. (2024). The neurologist shortage: Causes, consequences, and solutions. www.caliberhealth.com/blog/ neurologist-shortage 3. The team determined that a county would be classified as an MS care desert if it had a density below 2.32 neurologists per 100 people. only and Deloitte is not, by means of this publication, rendering accounting, business, financial, investment, legal, tax, or other professional advice or services. This publication is not a substitute for such professional advice or services, nor should it be used as a basis for any decision or action that may affect your business. Before making any decision or taking any action that may affect your business, you should consult a qualified professional advisor. Deloitte shall not be responsible for any loss sustained by any person who relies on this publication. As used in this document, “Deloitte” means Deloitte Consulting, LLP a subsidiary of Deloitte LLP. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/ about for a detailed description of our legal structure. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Copyright © 2025 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. About Deloitte This publication contains general information

specialized MS care in each U.S. county? What social drivers of health correlate with different levels of access? To answer these questions, the Society developed a methodology for analyzing access to MS care that considered, within a given region, both travel times to appointments and the number of neurologists per 100,000 adults. 3 The Society also identified the importance of comprehensive care centers that bring together dieticians, pharmacists, physical therapists, and other pro viders to more fully address the needs of people living with MS. The team merged neurologist location data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Society’s comprehensive care center location data, creating an interactive dashboard that gives the organization a comprehensive view of MS care across the country and the ability to focus in on access levels and social drivers of health in every county. The dashboard confirmed that people in rural counties are far more likely to live in care deserts than those in urban counties—indeed, that urbanicity, more than any other social driver of health, most correlated with access to care. The Society swiftly put the data driven insights to work, using the dashboard to ascertain how to direct grant funding in three southeastern states to boost in-person or virtual access to care, and has begun to work with policymakers in those counties and states before applying learnings nation wide. As with the CHFS in Kentucky, the multiplier effect of funding and care strengthens households, towns, and businesses throughout the country. Looking Ahead As agencies across the country look for opportunities to be more efficient and impactful in delivering

For the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Better Data Means Better Care The one million Americans diag nosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) have varied experiences with the disease. A chronic, progressive illness that affects the central nervous system, MS causes symptoms that vary from person to person and fluctuate over time. But many of those million people share a common experience: the confu sion that defines the path to diagnosis. 1 It is a confusion that human services agencies, on the front lines of care and with little specific information beyond U.S. Census data, often find themselves struggling to illuminate. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society (the Society), an organization “by and for people affected by multiple sclerosis,” aims to improve the quality of diagnoses and specialized ongoing care, empowering people to make informed decisions. But the on-going shortage of practicing neurologists has long hindered progress, manifesting in long waiting lists for appointments and prohibitively long travel times. 2 Without systematic data on how care is distrib uted across the country, policymakers, communities, and organizations strug gled to make informed progress toward expanding access to quality MS care. The Society had two important questions: What is the level of access to

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