Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #114816

Annette L. Gardner, PhD, MPH¹, Sara Geierstanger, MPH¹, Claire Brindis, DrPH², Coline McConnel, MA¹, Eunice Stephens, BA¹, and Joe Funk, BS². (1) Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California Street, Suite 265, San Francisco, CA 94143, (415) 514-1543, algard@itsa.ucsf.edu, (2) Center for Reproductive Health Research and Policy, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California Street, Suite 265, San Francisco, CA 94143-0936

This presentation describes the results from Years 1 and 2 of the Clinic Consortia Policy and Advocacy Program Evaluation conducted by the Institute for Health Policy Studies at the University of California, San Francisco. In early 2001, 19 California community clinic consortia received three years of funding from The California Endowment to pursue a number of strategies aimed at increasing services to underserved populations through consortia-initiated policy and advocacy activities. The focus of the first two years of the evaluation was on the implementation and effectiveness of policymaking and advocacy activities undertaken by grantees to better meet the needs of member clinics and their target populations. We also examined achievement of short-term outcomes such as maintained funding to clinics, increased policymaker awareness of consortia and clinic issues, and achievement of key policy outcomes.

The Study Findings indicate that consortia engaged in a broad range of advocacy, education, and clinic operational support activities that resulted in improved policymaker relationships, increased media visibility, and achievement of desired policy outcomes. Policymaker and community leaders reported increased awareness of community clinic policy issues and considered the clinics to be “very effective” at addressing these needs. Moreover, grant-funded activities resulted in increased annual funding to clinics. Finally, despite major barriers such as the constrained state budget and economy, grantee activities translated into significant legislative and local policy “wins” in 2001-2003. The findings indicate that support targeted to increasing policy advocacy capacity can positively impact marginalized populations in the policymaking arena.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will increase their knowledge of California clinic consortia and their strategies to increase access to care for clinic populations in the policymaking arena.
• Participants will learn about policymaking and advocacy strategies and their short-term outcomes.
• The implications for decision-makers (policymakers, funders) will be discussed.

Keywords: Policy/Policy Development, Access to Health Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.