Public Health Planning ·      Provided public health planning for the  Philadelphia  Department of Public Health's initiative ~Steps to a Healthier Philadelphia ~ to reduce the  burden of chronic diseases.   Services included development  of  a   neighborhood-based Health Needs Assessment; creation of a city-wide GIS-linked  Inventory  representing  health  services assets; literature re- view, analysis and recommendations for Best Practice health promotion and intervention models; and a final plan document guiding the prioritiza- tion for a 5-year /$10 million CDC grant  The program targeted an under- served inner city population of 500,000 residents across 15 Philadelphia neighborhoods.   Community Health Needs Assessment ·  Evaluated community health needs, by defined neighborhoods,  for a comprehensive  continuum-of-care health system serving both urban inner city and suburban populations.  Identified  comparable national, state, and local health care utilization databases to access in determining specific areas of health care need by population sub-groups.  Developed short-term and long-term health status improvement objectives for the health system to target, incorporating the broader goals of Healthy People 2000.  Facilitated the development of a 'problem-to-solution" action plan for implementation.  Identified measurable criteria to use as a basis for evaluating improvement objectives' progress.   Strategic Planning  ·   Developed a five year strategic plan for a multi-site long-term care and elder services organization.  The plan included a survey and review of the service area's existing competitive  providers of seniors' centers; comprehensive outpatient rehab facilities (CORFs); adult day care centers; assisted living facilities; continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs); Section VIII housing; nursing homes; inpatient rehab facilities; and hospice care services.  In addition to the provider market analysis, consumer attitudes were obtained via phone survey and focus group forums, and community leaders were interviewed for their perspectives on the elder care market.  A five year plan resulted, with recommendations for additional nursing home beds, assisted living units and adult day care services.   New Program/Service Development   ·   Assisted with the development of New Jersey's first and only designated comprehensive Cancer Center recognized by the National Cancer Institute.  Developed a unique incidence-based model to estimate utilization of a proposed free-standing Cancer Center facility affiliated with major teaching hospitals and a private medical school.  Projected patient care volume for the Center by level and type of service (i.e., outpatient chemotherapy treatments, office visits, and inpatient admissions).  Incorporated staffing projections for academic physicians and other clinical and support staff.  Based upon the resulting financial analyses, the Center was constructed, the program was accredited, and the Cancer Institute of New Jersey became operational.