In 1996, the Allina Foundation, a non-profit foundation affiliated with a large Minnesota-based health system, funded a two million dollar multi-year project to identify strategies that work in community-based or population-based health improvement and to create an infrastructure for evaluation. Project REACH I (Research, Education and Community Health) increased the capacity of community organizations and provider groups to work with each other to improve their community’s health through the community health improvement model (assessment. planning, intervention, evaluation). Part II was developed in response to a report from the Minnesota Department of Health and the Urban Coalition on the status of low-income populations, including populations of color, in Minnesota. Since 1996, 56 community-based initiatives have received funding.
The outcomes of Project REACH are as follows: 1) to build capacity by creating awareness that capacity was an issue (34 technical assistance grants @ $5000); 2) to create genuine interest in what works in communities with a focus on evaluation (10 grants @ $100,000 each); 3) to foster shared decision-making in grant awards through a public-private proposal review board and a national advisory panel.
Learning Objectives: 1) to identify areas for collaboration 2) to identify strategies for measuring community health improvement
Keywords: Partnerships, Community Participation
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.