Essential Service 5 - Develop Policies and Plans

Community Health Institute/JSI • 501 South Street, 2nd Floor • Bow, NH 03304 • P:603-573-3300 • F:603-573-3301
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Essential Service 5 - Develop Policies and Plans

Develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts

Improving Overall Health through Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL)

Community Health Institute/JSI (CHI/JSI), under the direction of HNHfoundation, assisted in identifying ways to improve the overall health of New Hampshire’s residents through healthy eating and active living (HEAL). Through a community participatory process, CHI/JSI organized five workgroups consisting of individuals from 45 organizations representing businesses, local communities, schools, the health care industry and the food and recreation industries to identify and prioritize proven practices for promoting healthy eating and active living. The HEAL Action Plan was created and now serves as the blueprint for action and details recommendations and strategies for supporting individual efforts to adopt healthy lifestyles where we live, learn, work and play. CHI/JSI worked with funders and community partners to develop a strategy for funding the implementation which includes a community grants program and home for the HEAL Initiative. The plan and strategy for implementation was presented at a statewide conference with over 100 participants.

Revision of the Federal Rules for Shortage Designations

Community Health Institute/JSI (CHI/JSI) revised and consolidated the rules by which federal shortage area designations are evaluated (including Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs), and Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs)). These designations have become the foundation upon which nearly every component of the federal health care safety net system now rests. As such, changes to these rules are of intense interest to all stakeholders in the federal safety net system. CHI/JSI, working with the Bureau of Health Professions and a panel of national experts in health care access, will craft revisions to the current rules. CHI/JSI is responsible for conducting extensive analysis in support of the factors being considered for inclusion, and ultimately for evaluating the likely impact of the changes on the existing safety net infrastructure nationwide.

Assessment and Dissemination of Community Benefit Information and Practice

Community Health Institute/JSI (CHI/JSI), partnered with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Health Planning and Medicaid, and the Attorney General's Office, Division of Charitable Trusts, to conduct an assessment of the effects of New Hampshire's Community Benefits Law for Health Care Charitable Trusts. The purpose of the project was to analyze how the community benefit plans match the community needs assessment and to disseminate the findings to communities and charitable trusts. Exemplary practices were identified and CHI/JSI conducted interviews with the trusts and community stakeholders. Case studies were drafted for exemplary practices describing the community benefit process including the assessment of community needs, determination of priority needs, addressing priority needs, valuing community benefits, and lessons learned.

Development of New Hampshire’s Asthma Action Plan

Community Health Institute/JSI (CHI/JSI) supported the Asthma Control Program’s planning process and helped develop implementation plans for selected interventions that have emerged as priorities. The CHI/JSI worked with the New Hampshire (NH) Asthma Control Program and Northern NH Area Health Education Center (AHEC), to conduct a planning process that resulted in recommendations for implementing selected Indoor and Outdoor Environments action steps consistent with the NH Asthma Action Plan. CHI/JSI supported the State of New Hampshire’s Asthma Control Program in implementing the asthma action plan developed by the Asthma Advisory Council and worked with communities to develop implementation plans for the control of asthma in their service areas that are consistent with the asthma action plan’s objectives.

Development of New Hampshire’s State Health Report

Community Health Institute/JSI (CHI/JSI) worked in partnership with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health to develop the 2007 New Hampshire State Health Report: Working Together to Assure a Healthy Public. This comprehensive document provides information on the health status of citizens of New Hampshire and the data and analysis are provided with the intent to demonstrate and celebrate the health status of New Hampshire residents. Secondary data were summarized using a research-based determinants of health model that looks at health from an over arching perspective of what influences individual and community health. The report serves as a resource to guide future health improvement efforts and decision making of policymakers, health care providers, public health workers, practitioners, educators, and social service agencies.

Public Health Infrastructure Strategic Plan through the Turning Point Initiative

Community Health Institute/JSI (CHI/JSI) lead the statewide Turning Point Initiative, a two-year planning process to transform and strengthen the public health infrastructure in the state under contract with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The result of this plan was the Public Health Improvement Plan which served as a framework for improving the public health system in New Hampshire. Over the years, the state and communities have adopted the recommendations and strategies in the plan and improved public health capacity with the formation of public health networks.

Adolescent Health Plan Development

Community Health Institute/JSI (CHI/JSI) assisted the Adolescent Health Program of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services with the development of the state’s adolescent health plan. CHI/JSI provided a better understanding of issues impacting the health of adolescents, strengths and weakness of the New Hampshire response to meeting needs, strategies and approaches for engaging adolescents, and recommendations for improving the health and well-being of New Hampshire adolescents. The project included key informant interviews with individuals representing agencies meeting the health-related needs of adolescents throughout New Hampshire; provider surveys with school nurses, pediatricians and health educators; focus groups with youth and parents; and a Needs Assessment and Gap Analysis were developed in conjunction with program staff to identify needs in New Hampshire and potential gaps in services by population and geographic location whenever possible. Areas included were Clinical and Dental Services, Environmental Health, Injury Prevention, Mental Health, Physical Activity, Nutrition and Obesity, Reproductive and Sexual Health, Socio-Economic Status, School Achievement, Substance Abuse, and Youth with Special Health Care Needs.

Development of Diabetes Action Plan

Community Health Institute/JSI (CHI/JSI) facilitated a planning process to develop a statewide plan to improve diabetes prevention and care services for the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Diabetes Education Program. The result of the planning process was the NH Action Plan for Diabetes which has served as a blueprint for improving the health and quality of life for those residents who have been diagnosed with or are at risk for diabetes. CHI/JSI convened over 120 people from 65 organizations invested in improving the prevention and care services in the state by engaging their broad interests.

Logistical Support to the Citizens Health Initiative

Community Health Institute/JSI (CHI/JSI) provides logistical support to the New Hampshire Citizens’ Health Initiative (Initiative) through a logistics contract with the University of New Hampshire. Established at the request of Governor John Lynch, the Initiative seeks to build a bi-partisan membership of concerned New Hampshire residents to address the most pressing health care concerns facing our citizens. CHI/JSI hosts the Initiative’s meetings, provides office space to their consultants and handles all their day-to-day administrative duties such as managing the phone line, the website, convening project meetings, and managing a dedicated email inbox. Additionally, CHI/JSI is responsible for providing the Initiative with graphic design services, public health communications and conference planning.