IPHI Partnering with VCU for NIH Funded Grant on Children with Asthma

Posted on September 29, 2017 by Kady Pecorella

IPHI Partnering with VCU for NIH-Funded Grant on Children with Asthma

The Institute for Public Health Innovation (IPHI) in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University has received a NIH-Funded Research Grant to implement Child Asthma Intervention in Richmond, VA.

IPHI is partnering with the Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Psychology on the implementation of RVA Breathes, a six-year NIH-funded research grant to assess the impact of evidence-based asthma interventions on asthmatic children in Richmond, VA. IPHI will oversee the community health worker (CHW) intervention in which CHWs will conduct home visits in partnership with the Richmond City Health District Healthy Homes program to provide education on home environment triggers and techniques to reduce them. More information on IPHI’s role in RVA Breathes can be found here.

For more information about contact us at 202.747.3512 or via email at info@institutephi.org.

Dan River Region Health Equity Report Released

Posted on July 12, 2017 by Kady Pecorella

Dan River Region Health Equity Report

The Institute for Public Health Innovation has worked in partnership with The Health Collaborative, Centra, Sovah Health – Danville, and Danville Regional Foundation to publish the Dan River Region’s first Health Equity Report. Over the past ten months, these community partners have been working together to collect data, engage residents, identify common themes and analyze trends to better understand the region’s current health status.

As part of a larger community health needs assessment, the map-based report provides critical insight into the many factors that influence the community’s health. The findings of the report have been presented in the region through a series of workshops, presentations, and community findings.

For more information on the report or to learn more about The Health Collaborative, visit the Collaborative’s website or contact Project Manager Elyse Jardine at ejardine@institutephi.org.

Baltimore City CHW Forum

Posted on June 21, 2017 by Kady Pecorella

On June 21, 2017 IPHI collaborated with the Baltimore City Health Department, and Baltimore Area Health Education Center (BAHEC) to co-sponsor the Baltimore City Chapter of the Maryland Statewide CHW Network’s first citywide CHW Forum at the Vollmer Center at Cylburn Arboretum.

More than 120 CHWs, CHW allies, and supporters attended. Throughout the day speakers addressed a range of issue including:

CHWs Helping Patients with Hypertension & Diabetes
Tobacco Use and Heart Disease – A Historical Perspective on Tobacco Use and African Americans
Motivational Interviewing
Community Health Workers Association – Baltimore Chapter Presentation

It was a great day to recognize the hard work CHWs contribute to fighting disease and health disparities in Baltimore.

2017 DC CHW Forum

Posted on May 12, 2017 by Kady Pecorella

On May 12, 2017 IPHI co-hosted a CHW forum with DC Primary Care Association. CHWs, stakeholders, and CHW employers in DC heard from several speakers about CHW sustainability in DC.

The meeting featured presentations by DCPCA on CHWs and the Affordable Care Act, a presentation by the Massachusetts Health Department on CHW Certification and on a new Health Home model called “My Health GPS” that integrates CHWs as part of certain clinical teams in DC. In addition, several DC-based CHWs provided first-hand accounts of how their meaningful work impact lives every day. These presentations and speakers all contributed to achieving the following 3 aims for the Forum:

Build awareness of the impact of the potential changes to the ACA on DC Medicaid and Medicare patients.
Reinforce the role of CHWs in facilitating access to care and effective utilization of care among Medicaid and Medicare patients.
Identify potential policies and strategies to sustain CHWs within a transitioning care environment.

The Health Collaborative Recognized as a Spotlight Award Recipient

Posted on April 14, 2017 by Kady Pecorella

The Health Collaborative of the Dan River Region was recognized as a Spotlight Award winner in the Aetna Foundation’s Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge.

Funds Available for Community-Based Public Health Strategies through Healthy Montgomery Transforming Communities Initiative

Posted on April 3, 2017 by Kady Pecorella

For Immediate Release: April 3, 2017

Contact:

Julia Groenfeldt, Program and Communications Associate

202.747.3455

TCI@institutephi.org

Funds Available for Community-Based Public Health Strategies through Healthy Montgomery Transforming Communities Initiative

Silver Spring, Maryland – The Institute for Public Health Innovation, in partnership with Holy Cross Heath, Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, the Healthy Montgomery Steering Committee, and the Eat Well Be Active Partnership, is pleased to announce the availability of subgrant funding through the Healthy Montgomery Transforming Communities Initiative (TCI).

Up to $200,000 in grants will be awarded to support policy, systems, and environmental change strategies with promise to reduce obesity, promote health eating and active living, and promote tobacco-free living in Montgomery County, Maryland. Strategies eligible for funding include: implementation of nutrition standards in early childhood settings, promotion and implementation of “complete streets,” approaches to reduce population-level tobacco use or vaping, creation of new community health resources or pathways to existing community health resources, and other PSE strategies. The Healthy Montgomery TCI primarily focuses on low-income communities within Gaithersburg, Germantown, Long Branch and Takoma Park.

The initial TCI partners are offering this subgrant funding to engage additional partners in addressing Healthy Montgomery TCI goals. Subgrant applications are due by May 15, 2017, 5pm. IPHI will host an informational webinar about the Request for Proposals on April 13, 2017, 2pm. Details about the webinar will be provided via email to registered applicants. The RFP can be downloaded here. Please click here to view supporting documents and resources.

For more information about the Request for Proposals, contact Julia Groenfeldt, Program and Communications Associate, TCI@institutephi.org, 202-747-3455.

About the Transforming Communities Initiative:

Last year, Trinity Health, one of the country’s largest health systems, awarded a Montgomery County, Maryland partnership a multi-year grant to implement a range of policy, systems, and environment change strategies that can reduce obesity, promote tobacco-free living, and address social determinants that influence health outcomes. The grant is one of six across the country made through Trinity Health’s new Transforming Communities Initiative. Called the Healthy Montgomery Transforming Communities Initiative (TCI), the local effort is coordinated by the Institute for Public Health Innovation (IPHI) in collaboration with Trinity Health member Holy Cross Health, Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, the Healthy Montgomery Steering Committee, and the Eat Well Be Active Partnership. Healthy Montgomery is the county’s Community Health Improvement Planning (CHIP) process through which obesity and chronic disease prevention emerged among priority areas of focus. In a later stage, Healthy Montgomery TCI may also have access to low-interest investment loans through a complementary arm of the national initiative to support community development related to key determinants of health, such as access to healthy food, affordable housing and early childhood health.

About Institute for Public Health Innovation:

IPHI creates partnerships across sectors and cultivates innovative solutions that improve health and well-being for all populations and communities across the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, particularly those most affected by health inequities. IPHI’s work enhances the environments and conditions in which people live, age, work, learn, and play; strengthens health service systems and public policy; and builds organizational and community capacity to sustain progress. IPHI is one of over 40 public health institutes across the country and a member of the National Network of Public Health Institutes. For more information on IPHI, see www.institutephi.org, and follow IPHI on Facebook and Twitter @InstitutePHI.

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Meeting on March 29: Community Health Workers Advancing Virginia’s Public Health

Posted on March 29, 2017 by Kady Pecorella

The Institute for Public Health Innovation and the Virginia Association of Health Plans are holding a meeting prior to the start of the Population Health Summit to discuss the role of the CHW in Virginia’s health systems. This breakfast meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 29, 2017 from 9AM – 11AM at the Omni Hotel in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Discussion and presentations at this meeting will focus on the following objectives: Increase awareness and understanding about the role of the CHW; Identify benefits of CHWs to support population health in a transitioning health landscape; Learn from health care and hospital systems leading the effort to integrate CHW; and Discuss strategies to finance and sustain CHWs in health care settings.

Registration for this event ends March 22, 2017.

The event is possible with funding from Community Foundation of Richmond, Danville Regional Foundation, PATH Foundation, Potomac Health Foundation, Richmond Memorial Health Foundation, Williamsburg Health Foundation, The National Network for Public Health Institutes, Consumer Health Foundation, and Community Foundation for the National Capital Region.

Upcoming Forum on March 28: Community Health Workers and Population Health in Virginia

Posted on March 28, 2017 by Kady Pecorella

The Institute for Public Health Innovation, with support from the National Network of Public Health Institutes, will host a forum on Tuesday, March 28, 2017 from 8:30 AM-4:30 PM EST titled, “A Forum on Community Health Workers and Population Health in Virginia: A convening of leaders to discuss the progress of the CHW workforce to advance Virginia’s health, reduce cost, and improve quality” at the Omni Hotel in Charlottesville, Virginia.

When effectively integrated into health and social service systems and teams, CHWs have been proven to improve health outcomes, reduce costs and enhance the quality of health services. This Forum convenes leaders that impact population health to strengthen efforts to integrate CHWs to improve access to care and health equity.

Sessions throughout the day will enable attendees to: Increase awareness and understanding about the role of the CHW; Learn about national opportunities and efforts to finance and grow the workforce; Reflect on the work of the CHW Advisory Group and CHW Association over the past year and identify a clear vision for next steps for CHW workforce development; Review best practices to involve community health workers in clinical and community-based practices.

Attendees will include community health workers and their beneficiaries, and representatives from the health care delivery, legislative and policy, research and academic, community-based, public health, and social service sectors.

Registration for this event ends March 22, 2017.

Virginia Governor Signs Harm Reduction and Syringe Access Bills into Law

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Kady Pecorella

On February 23, 2017 Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed a set of bills that aim to stem Virginia’s growing opioid epidemic. One of the bills signed into law, HB2317, allows local departments of health to administer harm reduction and syringe access programs in parts of the state with very high rates of HIV and Hepatitis C.

IPHI advocated for syringe access programs and played a role by convening advocates, keeping everyone up to date, and pushing for involvement at key times.

To read more about Virginia’s set of harm reduction bills read Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s press release here.

Richmond City Food Policy Analysis – Report Released

Posted on February 15, 2017 by Kady Pecorella

Since 2015, the Institute for Public Health Innovation (IPHI) has worked to use its expertise and experience in food access and health equity to conduct a local food policy analysis and develop policy recommendations to promote equitable access to healthy, affordable, and culturally appropriate foods across Richmond. Recently, the analysis was completed and resulted in the report, Richmond City Food Policy Analysis. The report provides recommendations for the Virginia Department of Health, Richmond City Health District. Guided by the Richmond Food Access and Equity Task Force, the recommendations focus on two aspects of the food access issue ‐‐ urban agriculture and healthy food retail. More information on the Richmond Food Acess and Equity Task Force can be found here. The report can be found here: The Richmond Food Policy Analysis