We would like to share the following community benefit news and resources with you.
What Counts as Community Benefit
Funding Opportunities to Improve Health Care
County Health Rankings Released on March 16
Announcing the 2016 Innovations in Rural Health Award
Upcoming CHA Events
Community Benefit in the News
What Counts as Community Benefit
This question recently came into CHA's What Counts Hotline:
"Our system office maintains an athletic field that the community uses free of charge. Our building used to be owned by Nautilus and when we purchased the building we decided to keep the field. There are significant costs to maintain it but it benefits the neighborhood by providing children a place to play. Can we include the maintenance costs in our community benefit report?"
CHA recommendation: "We do not think that maintenance of the field, by itself, is a community benefit expense. However, if lack of exercise and opportunities for exercise has been identified in your needs assessment or implementation strategy and making the field available is part of your organization's strategy for addressing the need, there could be a good case for reporting maintenance costs as community benefit. "
Visit the What Counts Q&A page on the CHA website to see other questions and recommendations.
Funding Opportunities to Improve Health Care
HRSA, the Administration on Aging and SAMHSA are offering the following grants to improve health care for vulnerable populations:
Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement Program (Telehealth Network Grants) Delta States Rural Development Network Grant Program Empowering Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities through Chronic Disease Self-Management Education Programs Evidence-based Falls Prevention Program
Capacity Building Initiative for Substance Abuse and HIV Prevention Services for At-Risk Racial/Ethnic Minority Youth and Young Adults
County Health Rankings Released on March 16
The seventh annual
County Health Rankings were released on Wednesday, March 16. The
Rankings assess the current overall health of each county in all 50 states by looking at a variety of measures including those that affect the future health of communities, such as high school graduation rates, access to healthy foods, rates of smoking, obesity and teen births.
The 2016 Rankings include new measures such as frequent physical and mental distress, drug overdose deaths, insufficient sleep and residential segregation.
Announcing the 2016 Innovations in Rural Health Award
Applications are being accepted for the 2016 The New Rural: Innovations in Rural Health Award. The Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust established the award to highlight original, innovative solutions to drive health improvement in rural communities. Finalists will receive a $7,500 award, and one innovative and inspiring idea will win the New Rural Award and a total of $25,000.
Upcoming CHA Events
Registration is now open for the following CHA programs. Use the links below for more information and to register.
Pre-Assembly Community Benefit Program – June 5 in Orlando
Community Benefit 101 – Oct. 4-5 in St. Louis
Community Benefit in the News
Recent articles from Catholic Health World and Health Progress featuring community benefit news and programs from the across the ministry