Maximizing the Potential of Mini-Grants to Promote Policy, Systems, and Environmental Changes: Outcomes and Challenges

2021 ◽  
pp. 152483992110397
Author(s):  
Nancy O’Hara Tompkins ◽  
Jessica Wright ◽  
Peter Giacobbi ◽  
Bayan Alelaiwat ◽  
James Vance ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Evaluation Process ◽  
Health Department ◽  
State Health ◽  
Intermediary Organizations ◽  
Measurement And Evaluation ◽  
Policy Systems

Purpose and Objectives This article describes the implementation and evaluation of a chronic disease mini-grant initiative, coordinated by a state health department in collaboration with multiple stakeholders. Braided funding from federal and state sources was used to build and implement the initiative. Intervention Approach Mini-grants, facilitated by five different facilitating organizations, were funded to promote implementation of policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes at the local level. Grant recipients represented a variety of sectors, including education, government, and nonprofit organizations. Evaluation Methods Primary (surveys) and secondary (final reports) data documented achievement of PSE changes. Results A total of $196,369 was dispersed to 65 organizations; 126 PSE changes in the areas of physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco were reported. Challenges in implementing and evaluating mini-grants were identified, including the heterogeneity of the sectors/settings involved and associated variability of proposed activities, time lines, measurement, and evaluation activities. COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) also disrupted the plans for many projects. Implications for Public Health The success of this initiative can be attributed to four main elements: (1) the use of intermediary organizations to facilitate the mini-grants; (2) a participatory evaluation process, combined with early and ongoing communication among all stakeholders; (3) a braided funding strategy; and (4) a multisector approach that engaged both traditional and nontraditional public health organizations. The processes and outcomes, including challenges, can inform other state health departments’ efforts in braiding funding and engaging intermediary organizations to expand the reach of PSE changes at the local level.

Case Study: Nontraditional Partners in the Case of Kansas City

2019 ◽  
pp. 445-450
Author(s):  
Scott Hall ◽  
Rex Archer
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Policy Change ◽  
Kansas City ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Health Department ◽  
Chamber Of Commerce ◽  
Working Together ◽  
Multiple Jurisdictions

This chapter demonstrates the power of non-traditional partnerships to achieve policy change at the local level. The chapter's review of the work of the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and the KCMO Health Department to motivate adoption of Tobacco 21 initiatives in multiple jurisdictions highlights the importance of business and public health working together.

scholarly journals 965. Partnering with State Health Departments: A Road Map for Collaboration Using Public Health Enhanced HIV/AIDS Reporting System (eHARS)

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S512-S513
Author(s):  
John R Bassler ◽  
Emily B Levitan ◽  
Lauren Ostrenga ◽  
Danita C Crear ◽  
Kendra L Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Reporting System ◽  
Health Department ◽  
Distributed Data ◽  
Summary Statistics ◽  
Health Departments ◽  
State Health ◽  
State Health Department ◽  
Data Network ◽  
Hiv Aids

Abstract Background Academic and public health partnerships are a critical component of the Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America (EHE). The Enhanced HIV/AIDS Reporting System (eHARS) is a standardized document-based surveillance database used by state health departments to collect and manage case reports, lab reports, and other documentation on persons living with HIV. Innovative analysis of this data can inform targeted, evidence-based interventions to achieve EHE objectives. We describe the development of a distributed data network strategy at an academic institution in partnership with public health departments to identify geographic differences in time to HIV viral suppression after HIV diagnosis using eHARS data. Figure 1. Distributed Data Network Methods This project was an outgrowth of work developed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Center for AIDS Research (UAB CFAR) and existing relationships with the state health departments of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. At a project start-up meeting which included study investigators and state epidemiologists, core objectives and outcome measures were established, key eHARS variables were identified, and regulatory and confidentiality procedures were examined. The study methods were approved by the UAB Institutional Review Board (IRB) and all three state health department IRBs. Results A common data structure and data dictionary across the three states were developed. Detailed analysis protocols and statistical code were developed by investigators in collaboration with state health departments. Over the course of multiple in-person and virtual meetings, the program code was successfully piloted with one state health department. This generated initial summary statistics, including measures of central tendency, dispersion, and preliminary survival analysis. Conclusion We developed a successful academic and public health partnership creating a distributed data network that allows for innovative research using eHARS surveillance data while protecting sensitive health information. Next, state health departments will transmit summary statistics to UAB for combination using meta-analytic techniques. This approach can be adapted to inform delivery of targeted interventions at a regional and national level. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Assessing the Capacity of State Physical Activity Programs—A Baseline Perspective

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamara Vehige Calise ◽  
Sarah Martin
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Inactivity ◽  
Public Health Practice ◽  
Health Department ◽  
Health Departments ◽  
State Health ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Prevalence Of Obesity ◽  
Physical Activity Programs

Background:Physical inactivity is one of the top 3 risk factors associated with an increased prevalence of obesity and other chronic diseases. The public health infrastructure positions state health departments to address physical inactivity. To examine preparedness, all 50 health departments were assessed, using the 5 benchmarks developed by CDC for physical activity and public health practice, on their capacity to administer physical activity programs.Methods:States were scored on a 5-point scale for each benchmark. The top 2 high and low scores were combined to create 2 categories. Exact Chi-square analyses were performed.Results:States with CDC obesity funding scored higher on 4 benchmarks than states without. States with a state physical activity plan scored higher on all benchmarks than states without. States with a physical activity coalition scored higher on 2 benchmarks than states without.Conclusions:At the time of the assessment, approximately 20% of state physical activity programs could have improved in the use of evidence-based strategies and planning and evaluation approaches. Furthermore, many programs seemed to have limited sustainability. The findings of this report serve as a baseline of the capacity and infrastructure of state health department physical activity programs.

Traineeship in diabetes and the older patient. A public health experience

1994 ◽  
Vol 84 (7) ◽  
pp. 344-347
Author(s):  
AE Helfand
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Secondary Prevention ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
Health Department ◽  
State Health ◽  
Older Patient ◽  
Complications Of Diabetes ◽  
Local Resources

The author describes an effort that demonstrates a successful partnership between a professional education program in podiatric medicine, the Pennsylvania State Health Department, and the Professional Diabetes Academy, which served as the catalyst for health promotion, prevention, and education. Similar programs through adaptations geared to local resources could be developed as a demonstration of direct secondary prevention of the complications of diabetes in the older population and have the potential to help meet national goals to significantly reduce amputations.

scholarly journals Multiple interventions to strengthen immunization services in an Angolan district

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Fattorini ◽  
G Raguzzoni ◽  
C Cuccaro ◽  
N Nante ◽  
C Quercioli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Health Department ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Continuous Training ◽  
District Health ◽  
Immunization Services ◽  
Multiple Interventions

Abstract Background Immunization represents one of the most effective intervention in public health. In the Sustainable Development Goals era, adequate vaccination services are still crucial for the prevention of infectious diseases and the reduction of under-5 mortality. However, in 2017 WHO estimated that children <1 year who did not receive the third dose of Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis (DTP3) vaccine were 19.2 million globally, and 600000 of these were located in Angola, a Sub-Saharan country with an estimated DTP3 coverage of 52%. Since 2000, Italian Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Doctors with Africa CUAMM supports the activity of the hospital of Chiulo in the commune of Mucope (district of Ombadja, south of Angola). Aim of the study is to describe the interventions implemented to strengthen the immunization services performed by the hospital Public Health Staff (PHS). Methods In May 2018 the NGO started to implement multiple interventions to enhance the number of vaccine doses administered. Firstly, outreach immunization sessions were reorganized and reinforced, for example involving local Community Health Workers in the identification of villages with a high burden of unvaccinated children. Other actions were the continuous training of the PHS in data collection and the increased collaboration with the Ombadja District Health Department in order to develop a more efficient vaccine supply chain at local level. Results In 2018, among children <1 year the PHS administered 19746 doses, with a 22.3% growth compared to 2017 (15349 doses). Doses administered during outreach sessions increased by 35.4% (6597 versus 4259 doses). Estimated DTP3 coverage in Mucope commune was 71% (2017, 59%). Conclusions The WHO “Reaching Every Community” strategy emphasizes the importance of high quality immunization services in hard-to-reach areas. The organisation of well-functioning immunization services requires a multifaceted approach by the involved stakeholders. Key messages In 2017, globally 19.2 million of children <1 year did not receive the recommended three DTP doses. Six-hundred thousand were located in Angola. To obtain and sustain an adequate vaccination coverage, especially in hard-to-reach areas, multiple and well-coordinated actions should be implemented by all the involved stakeholders.

Building Public Health Law Capacity at the Local Level

2008 ◽  
Vol 36 (S3) ◽  
pp. 6-28
Author(s):  
Diane E. Hoffmann ◽  
Virginia Rowthorn
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Health Department ◽  
Local Health Department ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Health Law ◽  
Hiv Status ◽  
Health Officer ◽  
Hiv Awareness ◽  
Do So

In the early days of HIV awareness, prior to universal precautions, as a local health officer, I was supervising an openly gay employee. The county executive (in his formal capacity) asked me the HIV status of the employee and threatened my employment if I did not reveal it. I was reluctant to do so, believing it would be an invasion of the employee’s privacy. I contacted the county attorney who advised me that I could reveal the employee’s HIV status to the county executive but he was not willing to put his guidance in writing. Ultimately, I spoke with the employee’s attorney and was given permission to reveal the employee’s HIV status. The experience, however, left a bad taste in my mouth. I felt the county attorney was acting politically in support of the county executive rather than doing what was legally appropriate. He certainly did not act as an advocate for the local health department!

The Relationships Between State Health Department Practitioners’ Perceptions of Organizational Supports and Evidence-Based Decision-Making Skills

2021 ◽  
pp. 003335492098415
Author(s):  
Stephanie Mazzucca ◽  
Rebekah R. Jacob ◽  
Cheryl A. Valko ◽  
Marti Macchi ◽  
Ross C. Brownson
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Organizational Capacity ◽  
Health Department ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
State Health ◽  
State Health Department ◽  
Longitudinal Associations ◽  
Evidence Based Decision Making

Objectives Evidence-based decision making (EBDM) allows public health practitioners to implement effective programs and policies fitting the preferences of their communities. To engage in EBDM, practitioners must have skills themselves, their agencies must engage in administrative evidence-based practices (A-EBPs), and leaders must encourage the use of EBDM. We conducted this longitudinal study to quantify perceptions of individual EBDM skills and A-EBPs, as well as the longitudinal associations between the 2. Methods An online survey completed among US state health department practitioners in 2016 and 2018 assessed perceptions of respondents’ skills in EBDM and A-EBPs. We used χ2 tests, t tests, and linear regressions to quantify changes over time, differences by demographic characteristics, and longitudinal associations between individual skills and A-EBPs among respondents who completed both surveys (N = 336). Results Means of most individual EBDM skills and A-EBPs did not change significantly from 2016 to 2018. We found significant positive associations between changes in A-EBPs and changes in EBDM skill gaps: for example, a 1-point increase in the relationships and partnerships score was associated with a narrowing of the EBDM skill gap (β estimate = 0.38; 95% CI, 0.15-0.61). At both time points, perceived skills and A-EBPs related to financial practices were low. Conclusions Findings from this study can guide the development and dissemination of initiatives designed to simultaneously improve individual and organizational capacity for EBDM in public health settings. Future studies should focus on types of strategies most effective to build capacity in particular types of agencies and practitioners, to ultimately improve public health practice.

Human Relationships in Public Health

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1949 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 266-266
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
New York ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health Department ◽  
State Health ◽  
Public Health Services ◽  
State Health Department ◽  
Human Relationships ◽  
Commonwealth Fund

This is the title of a small pamphlet just issued by the Commonwealth Fund of New York. Written by Geddes Smith, an associate of the Fund, it describes an institute on mental health in public health which was held in the summer of 1948. Students at the institute were health officers of California counties and cities, or bureau chiefs in the State Health Department, with representatives of public health services of Tennessee, Mississippi, and Oklahoma.

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