UDS Mapper to Sunset in March 2024, HRSA to Launch Enhanced GeoCare Navigator
The healthcare community is set to witness a significant transition as the Uniform Data System (UDS) Mapper, a widely used tool for health centers, is scheduled to sunset in March 2024. This change comes as the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) prepares to launch an enhanced Health Center Program GeoCare Navigator in early 2024.
The UDS Mapper has been instrumental for health centers in generating service area maps for funding applications, change in scope requests and other applications. However, its services will be replaced by the new GeoCare Navigator, which promises to be more user-friendly and tailored to the specific needs of the Health Center Program.
Despite the sunsetting of the UDS Mapper, HRSA ensures that there will be no gap in access to a mapping tool for health centers. Until March 2024, the UDS Mapper will remain available, and its user guides and recorded webinars will continue to be accessible on the UDS Mapper Tutorials and Resources webpage. It is important to note, however, that live UDS Mapper webinars and trainings will no longer be held after September 2023.
The upcoming GeoCare Navigator is designed to enhance the capabilities previously offered by the UDS Mapper. Users will be able to evaluate the geographic reach, penetration, and growth of the Health Center Program and its relationship to other federally linked health resources. Additionally, the tool will enable the viewing of critical geographic and demographic data at the ZIP Code level, leveraging datasets that include HRSA’s Uniform Data System (UDS) to support improved access to healthcare.
HRSA plans to release more information in the coming months about how to access and use the new GeoCare Navigator. Stakeholders are encouraged to stay tuned to the Primary Health Care Digest for further updates.
This transition marks a significant step in the evolution of health data mapping tools, aiming to provide enhanced support and resources to health centers across the nation.
