CHCF is interested in depicting health data in new and inventive ways. To further this goal, we mounted our first health data design competition — The Picture of Health: A Data Design Challenge. Successful entrants explored how CHCF could present health cost data in a compelling and comprehensive manner, targeting policymakers and the public.

Winning entries, seen in the slideshow below with links when available, were:

• First Place ($5,000) to "The Landscape of Health — Picturing the Cost of Health Care over the Last Generation," submitted by Christian Basa, Kyle Kim, Kwang Pak, and Ryan Roberts from Providence Health and Services Southern California
• Second Place ($3,000) to "Health Costs USA," submitted by Neil Halloran, web developer and CEO, VisualBudget.org
• Third Place ($1,000) to "Hospital Care Spending: The Role of Chronic Conditions," submitted by Michael Thompson, founder, Accelerator
• Honorable Mentions ($500) to five entrants: John Aristizabal; Abby Cajudo; Josh Cothran; Lisa Maiuro; and the team of Amy Neuwelt and Jessica Tomlinson

A five-member panel judged entries based 40% on their creativity and inventiveness, 30% on their educational components, and 30% on the persuasiveness and elegance of the presentations.

Entrants were required to use portions of the provided data sources, including a the data behind the 2011 edition of CHCF's annual California Health Care Almanac report Health Care Costs 101. Complete contest rules and data sets are available as a Document Download.