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.