We would like to share the following community benefit news and resources with you.
CHA kicking off Community Guide project this fall
Show your support for public health to the new Administration and Congress
CDC launches "Health Impact in Five Years" initiative
AHA issues guide on creating effective hospital-community partnerships
2017 RWJF Culture of Health Prize – Call for applications
ACHI offerings
Upcoming CHA events
Community benefit in the news
CHA kicking off Community Guide project this fall
CHA is partnering with the Public Health Foundation (PHF) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to conduct a demonstration project on The Guide to Community Preventive Services (The Community Guide) with two CHA member organizations. The project is part of a CDC initiative to build capacity of nonprofit hospitals, health departments and other community stakeholders to use The Community Guide to collaboratively address needs identified in community health needs assessments.
To learn more about The Community Guide and a similar project being conducted with the Association for Community Health Improvement, listen to this archived webinar. If you think your organization might be interested in participating in the CHA effort please contact Indu Spugnardi at [email protected].
Show your support for public health to the new Administration and Congress
Every four years, Trust for America's Health (TFAH) releases a Blueprint for a Healthier America, which makes the case that improving health should be a top priority for the country. The Blueprint will include recommendations for the next four years, as well as a series of mini-briefs with policy recommendations for priority public health issues. As part of the project, TFAH is inviting organizations to join onto a high-level sign-on Vision for a Healthier America, to show the collective support for public health to the incoming Administration and Congress. It is a short, big picture vision statement TFAH features as a stand-alone piece — identifying key problems to show the urgent stakes and principles. Click here to sign-on.
CDC launches "Health Impact in Five Years" initiative
This August the CDC launched the HI-5 ("high-five") or Health Impact in Five Years Initiative which highlights non-clinical, community-wide interventions with a proven track record. Each highlighted intervention is associated with improved health within five years or less as well as reported cost effectiveness and/or cost savings over the lifetime of the population or earlier.
The interventions fall into two categories: those that "change the context" and those that focus on the social determinants of health (SDOH). Interventions that focus on "changing the context" aim to change the environmental context to make healthy options the easy or default choice, regardless of education, income, service provision or other societal factors. Interventions that focus on SDOH address the conditions (social, economic and physical) in the places where we live, learn, work and play. By improving factors that directly influence health, these interventions can directly improve the health of communities.
AHA issues guide on creating effective hospital-community partnerships
A new guide from the AHA's Hospitals in Pursuit of Excellence initiative highlights promising practices for creating effective and sustainable hospital-community partnerships to build a culture of health. "Building a Culture of Health means creating a society that gives all individuals an equal opportunity to live the healthiest life they can, whatever their ethnic, geographic, racial, socioeconomic or physical circumstances may be," the authors note.
Based on interviews with hospital, health system and community leaders from 25 diverse communities, the guide shares lessons learned in: identifying community health needs and reaching consensus on priorities; identifying potential partners; creating sustainable partnership structures; overcoming obstacles; and assessing interventions and partnerships. Developed by the AHA's Health Research & Educational Trust affiliate with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the free resource is available at hpoe.org/effectivepartnerships.
2017 RWJF Culture of Health Prize – Call for applications
The RWJF Culture of Health Prize recognizes communities that have placed a priority on health and are creating powerful partnerships and deep commitments that will enable everyone, especially those facing the greatest challenges, with the opportunity to live well. The Prize elevates the compelling stories of local leaders and community members who are coming together to create conditions for health and prosperity by transforming neighborhoods, schools and businesses — so that good health flourishes everywhere.
Apply now to receive up to $25,000 and have your story and success celebrated broadly to inspire others toward locally-driven change. Visit the RWJF website to learn more and to sign up for a webinar on Sept. 22 with much more information on the Prize and the application process.
ACHI offerings
We want to share the following items from the Association for Community Health Improvement (ACHI):
- ACHI is now accepting proposals to present a breakout session or poster at the 14th annual ACHI National Conference in Denver, March 9-11, 2017. The conference will support the essential work of community benefit, population health and community health professionals as they make progress toward Elevating Impact Together. ACHI welcomes proposals that share how organizations have been making an impact on the health of their communities. Review the call for proposals and apply at www.healthycommunities.org/achi2017. The submission deadline is Friday, Sept. 23.
- Registration is now open for the Sept. 27 webinar Evaluating the Quality and Impact of Community Benefit Programs. The program will be presented by Julie Trocchio of CHA and Kim Peeren, Senior Public Health Consultant, Healthy Communities Institute, a Xerox Company. Visit the ACHI website to learn more and register.
- ACHI is accepting nominations for it's Spirit of the Community Award. This award recognizes two individuals who have implemented exceptional programs and/or policies that have demonstrated measurable improvements in the health and wellness of a community. The inaugural award will be presented at the 2017 ACHI National Conference, March 9-11, in Denver. Nominations are due Sept. 30, 2016.
Upcoming CHA events
Registration is now open for the following CHA programs. Use the links below for more information and to register.
Community Benefit 101 – Oct. 4-5 in St. Louis, MO
Preparing for the Ethics of Population Health: Our Moral Tradition Considered Anew - Oct. 25, webinar
Community benefit in the news
Here are recent articles from Catholic Health World and Health Progress featuring community benefit news and programs from the across the ministry.