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Rebecca Davis, RN BSN, Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, 2662 Cornhusker Hwy., Suite 7, Lincoln, NE 68521, 402 471-7946, rebecca.davis@hhss.state.ne.us, Marilyn McGary, RN MS, Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health and Human Services, P.O. Box 95044, Lincoln, NE 68509-5044, and Barbara J. Head, PhD, RN, College of Nursing, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985330 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5330.
In 2000, Nebraska funded eighteen minority health projects through a public health initiative using tobacco settlement funds. The purpose of the Minority Health Initiative projects is to help Nebraska meet the national Health People 2010 goal of eliminating health disparities among minority and other populations. Funded projects are designed to produce change in factors that contribute to health disparities, such as the lack of available, comprehensive, and coordinated health care (including primary care and health promotion); and problems gaining access to available culturally and linguistically appropriate health care services. Projects focus on priority problems affecting the health of minorities in Nebraska and aim to improve health indicators related to infant mortality, cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes and asthma. A program evaluation system was developed to help project grantees refine their evaluation of not only process outcomes, but impact outcomes – those that demonstrate whether the objectives of the project were actually met, and go beyond the data needed to demonstrate proposed activities and provision of services. The evaluation system is designed to involve all program stakeholders and links specific outcomes from each of the community based projects. Consistent measures are identified that contribute to both individual project and overall program evaluation. Application of the evaluation system has the potential to increase sustainability and improve existing programs, which will further the vision of reducing racial and ethnic health disparities in the state. Utilization of the system is also expected to provide opportunities for program replication and supports the development of best practices for minority health.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Evaluation, Minority Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.