Most of us would flunk Political Trivial Pursuit -- how can you stay abreast of so many presidential candidates and their spoken/written/interpreted views on health care reform?

Now, the Henry J. Kaiser Foundation has created an easy-to-use Website allowing you to compare candidates' proposals side by side:

http://www.health08.org/sidebyside.cfm

Let me know what you think.

Another health-indicators tool recently debuted. It's an online tracking program that allows you to hone in on health risks -- like asthma and childhood obesity -- by ZIP code in the Sacramento area. It's the byproduct of a community needs assessment jointly performed by Catholic Healthcare West, Sutter Health, Kaiser Permanente and UC Davis.

http://www.healthylivingmap.com/

The Sacramento Bee quotes one participant as hoping this is a starter for more research. And, just so you know, Fresno-area hospitals and health providers have been talking and meeting for the last couple of years trying to map a joint approach to targeting specific area health needs. One idea considered is compiling a dossier of data for all activists to tap into.

I would appreciate your feedback on both of posted sites.